ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Attorney-General how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful prosecutions were brought by the Crown Prosecution Service in respect of offences involving human trafficking in each of the last five years.

Dominic Grieve: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) records show that, in the last five years, the following prosecutions have been brought on charges under sections 57, 58 and 59 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, alleging trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004, alleging trafficking for other exploitative purposes:
	
		
			 Number of prosecutions under sections 57, 58 and 59 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. alleging trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation 
			  Number 
			 2006-07 40 
			 2007-08 87 
			 2008-09 114 
			 2009-10 102 
			 2010-11 96 
		
	
	
		
			 Number of prosecutions under section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004, alleging trafficking for other exploitative purposes 
			  Number 
			 2006-07 0 
			 2007-08 3 
			 2008-09 10 
			 2009-10 19 
			 2010-11 20 
		
	
	The CPS records indicate the volume of offences, not defendants, prosecuted by the CPS under each Act and Section. These data are not held by defendant or by outcome.

Departmental Billing

Gordon Banks: To ask the Attorney-General what mechanism the Law Officers' Departments have established to ensure its payments are passed through the supply chain to each tier in accordance with the last date for payment defined in the Government's Fair Payment guidance.

Dominic Grieve: The Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSol), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Serious Fraud Office (SFO) each have their own accounting officer. The accounting officer for TSol also covers the Attorney-General's Office (AGO) and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate.
	TSol uses contract mechanisms to support the timely payment of their accounts in situations where sub-contractors are used to deliver services. The main expenditure using sub-contractors is for temporary administrative staff. These utilise the OGC Buying Solutions framework conditions, which include a clause requiring the contractor to pay all sums due to the sub-contractor within the period specified in their subcontract, and not to exceed 30 days.
	Building maintenance services, which would be specifically covered by construction works mentioned in the Government's Fair Payment guidance, are provided as follows:
	(a) For TSol headquarters office at One Kemble Street such services are provided under a lease arrangement with a private sector landlord which does not include reference to guaranteeing timely payments to sub-contractors.
	(b) For the AGO office at Victoria Street, such services are provided under a separate contract, which does not include any terms relating to the timeliness of payments to sub-contractors. However new contractual arrangements are envisaged which will include provision about the timeliness of such payments.
	TSol's standard terms and conditions for services used for low value purchasing do not enable suppliers to sub-contract.
	The SFO normally uses contracts provided through OGC frameworks. The SFO indicate that on occasions when they undertake to issue their own contracts they use the model terms and conditions available from the Office of Government Commerce' website, which includes clauses ensuring that contractors sub-contracting pass on Fair Payment practices.
	The CPS has a limited requirement for construction services. When it does, it is their policy to use the Office of Government Commerce's model terms and conditions for construction wherever practicable. These provide for the prompt payment of contractors within specific periods and for lead contractors to adopt similar payment terms for any sub-contractors used.

TRANSPORT

Air Routes

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to ensure transparency in decision-making procedures relating to new flight paths.

Theresa Villiers: The Directorate of Airspace Policy, part of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), is responsible for the UK's airspace change process. This is implemented in accordance with CAP (Civil Aviation Publication) 724, the “Airspace Charter”, to ensure fair and effective regulation of the airspace system.
	CAP 725, CAA “Guidance on the Application of the Airspace Change Process”, sets out the consultation process an airspace change sponsor must follow before it formally submits an airspace change request to the CAA. It specifies that the CAA will be openly and transparently accountable in making its regulatory decisions.

Airports: Fees and Charges

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department provides guidance to international airports on charges for access for the drop-off of air passengers.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport does not provide guidance to airport operators on air passenger drop-off charges. The establishment and setting of such charges is a commercial matter for airport operators.

Driving: Licensing

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether provisions are in place to prevent individuals without a (a) provisional or (b) full UK driving licence purchasing motor insurance.

Michael Penning: There is no statutory requirement on insurers to check that someone seeking motor insurance has a valid driving licence. Insurers undertake the risk of those they insure and are obliged to meet the insured's liability in the event of an accident.

East Coast Railway Line: Finance

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding from the public purse Directly Operated Railways Ltd received to run East Coast Main Line rail passenger services in each year from 2009 to 2011; and how much funding from the public purse will be allocated each year to 2013.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 10 June 2011
	No public subsidy has been made available to Directly Operated Railways Ltd (DOR) or the East Coast Main Line Company Ltd (ECML) since 2009.
	However, a loan facility from the Secretary of State for Transport has been made available, on commercial terms, to DOR and ECML to provide working capital.
	The principal outstanding as at 31 March 2011 is £21 million. The rolled up interest on the principal as at that date was £1.486 million. This loan agreement will terminate when the Services Agreement between the Secretary of State for Transport and ECML comes to an end, at which point the principal and any outstanding interest will be repayable.
	The loan is a revolving credit facility and as such DOR is free to repay all or part of it at any point prior to the termination of the Services Agreement.

Motor Vehicles: Sales

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the number of used car sales that have involved tampering with odometer readings since 2005.

Edward Davey: holding answer 20 June 2011
	I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Transport does not have year on year figures as requested. However, an OFT study on the second hand car market estimated that between 5 and 12% of second-hand cars checked have a mileage discrepancy.

Passenger Ships: Liverpool

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with (i) the European Commission and (ii) others on the potential repayment of funding allocated by his Department to Liverpool cruise terminal.

Michael Penning: I met Councillor Anderson, leader of Liverpool city council, along with council officers and the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mrs Ellman) to discuss this subject during my visit to the Mersey on 13 January this year. I discussed it also with the hon. Member for Wirral West (Esther McVey) in December, and with Councillor Royston Smith, leader of Southampton city council, in March. Officials have discussed the matter informally from time to time with Liverpool city council officers, and with representatives of ports opposing grant repayment in return for permitting turnaround operations at the terminal.
	Departmental officials and I have had no discussions with the European Commission on this matter.

Road Works: Regulation

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of street works legislation.

Norman Baker: I refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 14 June 2011, Official Report, column 729W.

Shipping

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions ships' captains have been given a direction under the provisions of the Marine Safety Act 2003; what the date was of each such direction; to which ship each direction applied; and what the nature was of each direction so given.

Michael Penning: Since the Marine Safety Act came into legislation on 10 September 2003 the Secretary of State's Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP) has made 13 directions to ships' captains. The details of these are set out as follows:
	
		
			 Date Ship name Description of direction 
			 9 February 2004 Altelund Direction to anchor in a safe place and wait for contracted tug. 
			 25 October 2004 Nyk Argus Direction forbidding entry into a fire damaged hold until approved by the MCA and the CO2 onboard the vessel had been replenished. 
			 19 November 2004 Fione Direction to receive a line from the ETV Monarch Sovereign and accept a tow to a place of safety. 
			 10 January 2005 Great Moon Direction to anchorage to effect repairs. 
			 14 January 2005 Annie Hillina Direction to receive a line from the ETV Anglian Sovereign and accept a tow to a place of safety. 
			 17 February 2005 Amata Direction to secure tug assistance. 
			 27 October 2005 Rosita Direction to Master and owners to provide an acceptable recovery plan for the containers lost overboard. 
		
	
	
		
			 4 February 2006 Saruna Direction to proceed to an anchorage designated by Falmouth Harbour Master. 
			 22 February 2007 Lokys Direction to arrange towage. 
			 10 December 2007 Stropus Direction to arrange towage. 
			 2 January 2008 LT Cortesia Direction to accept a line from a UK ETV. 
			 25 May 2008 Elbfeeder Direction to contract a tug and make for refuge. 
			 25 December 2010 Eren Turgut Direction to take a line from ETV.

Shipping: Alcoholic Drinks

Sarah Newton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to implement section 80 of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003.

Michael Penning: There is not currently a fixed date for implementing section 80 of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling stock

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce the award of the Thameslink Rolling Stock Programme contract.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 16 June 2011, Official Report, columns 85-6WS, in which I announced the Department's preferred bidder for new rolling stock for the Thameslink Programme.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Members: Cycling

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the Commission has made of the accessibility of Transport for London hire bicycles to hon. Members.

John Thurso: Officials and Transport for London (TfL) have identified a suitable site for a docking station on land owned by the House of Commons at Abingdon Green. It is anticipated that the docking station will be accessed from Great College Street. This location was deemed the most appropriate for a number of reasons, including accessibility for hon. Members.
	TFL is investigating the feasibility of additional sites in close proximity to the parliamentary estate.

Printing Machinery

Duncan Hames: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much the House of Commons Service spent on (a) printers and (b) printer ink cartridges in each of the last three years.

John Thurso: The House of Commons Service spent the following on printers for the use of House staff:
	
		
			 Financial year Expenditure (£) 
			 2008-09 41,000 
			 2009-10 44,000 
			 2010-11 55,000 
		
	
	Most House of Commons printers use toner rather than ink cartridges. It is not possible to state the amount of toner and ink purchased since it is not coded separately in the House's accounting system and can be purchased from a number of suppliers.

Speaker's Conference

Jo Swinson: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what progress the House of Commons Commission has made in implementing the recommendations of the Speaker's Conference on Parliamentary Representation.

John Thurso: The House administration is responsible for 16 of the recommendations from the Speaker's Conference on Parliamentary Representation, on which good progress has been made. For example, since the previous response on this issue (29 October 2010), the proposal for Members being able to vote accompanied by their babies under a year old has been addressed through agreement in principle on nodding through such Members and practical ways of introducing that initiative are being developed; workplace equality networks have been set up to support Members and others on the estate; and more information is about to be published on the internet on accessibility in Parliament. Some of the report's recommendations fall within the purview of the House of Commons Single Equality Scheme, and will be reflected in the update to the Commission on that scheme in the autumn.

WALES

Devolution

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when she plans to announce the (a) terms of reference and (b) membership of the review team for the inquiry into the ways in which Wales is funded.

Cheryl Gillan: The Government intend to announce their proposals before the summer recess.

Olympic Games 2012

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the First Minister of the Welsh Government on ensuring that Wales maximises the tourist opportunities of the London 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), has had discussions with the First Minister on a number of topics, including how to maximise the benefits of the London 2012 Olympic Games for Wales. Wales will host some of the first Olympic Events including the qualifying matches for Football.
	The Secretary of State recently met VisitBritain to discuss, among other issues, the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games. VisitBritain will be running the “You’re Invited” programme over the next four years, to capitalise on international interest in the recent royal wedding, as well as next year's diamond jubilee, Olympic and Paralympic Games. Their programme aims to attract 4 million extra visitors to the UK, including Wales. This anticipated boost in tourism will support businesses, jobs and growth across the UK.

Olympic Games 2012

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what training camps she expects to be established in Wales in preparation for the London 2012 (a) Olympics and (b) Paralympics; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: To date, four countries have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Welsh Government that outlines their intention to train in Wales. These include the Olympic team from Trinidad and Tobago and the Paralympic teams of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
	Welsh facilities will also host training for specific Olympic and Paralympic events, including the:
	(a) British Olympic and Paralympic Cycling teams at the Newport velodrome;
	(b) US Paralympic Track Cycling team at the Newport velodrome;
	(c) Amateur International Boxing Association ‘Road to London’ training camp at Cardiff university; and
	(d) Irish Triathlon team at Swansea university and the surrounding Gower Peninsular.
	It is anticipated that these camps will involve over 700 athletes and support staff who will train in Wales in the weeks leading to the Games with direct investment into the economy potentially running into millions of pounds.

Olympic Games 2012

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent assessment she has made of the (a) economic, (b) social and (c) cultural legacy of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in Wales; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: The UK stands to gain from the wide range of opportunities created by the 2012 Games, through businesses winning Games-related work, increased tourism and cultural celebrations. London 2012 has already brought significant new opportunities for UK businesses especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including those in Wales.
	The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is responsible for developing and building the venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 Games. As of May 2011, over 1,500 UK businesses, including those directly involved in the construction programme, have supplied the ODA from across UK. Thousands of businesses in the UK are working on the Games through supplier contracts worth in excess of £5 billion.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has commissioned an evaluation of the impacts and legacy of the London 2012 Games. An initial evaluation will be published in the spring/summer 2013.

Trade Unions

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with (a) the First Minister of the Welsh Government and (b) trade unions on the potential effects in Wales of Civil Service job losses; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), has regular meetings with all stakeholders to discuss employment issues in Wales and will shortly be having another meeting with the Trades Union Congress.

SCOTLAND

Financial Services

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the financial services sector in Scotland.

Michael Moore: I met with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the right hon. Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), on 7 June and we discussed a wide range of issues. Both the Chancellor and I are acutely aware of the importance of the financial sector in Scotland.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what powers are available to the Electoral Commission in respect of electoral registration officers who do not meet registration standards; and on how many occasions each such power has been used in each of the last three years.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Administration Act 2006 gave the Electoral Commission the power to set and monitor performance standards for both electoral registration officers (EROs) and returning officers. The powers, at this time, do not extend to sanctions for those officers who do not meet the standards.
	However, in each of the three years where an ERO has failed to meet one of the standards, the Electoral Commission has visited the ERO to establish the reasons for poor performance and to offer support and additional guidance to assist those officers.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many electoral registration officers did not meet the participation standards to promote electoral registration in their community in each of the last three years.

Gary Streeter: The number of electoral registration officers (EROs) that did not meet the participation standard is set out as follows:
	
		
			  Number of EROs 
			 2008 265 
			 2009 155 
			 2010 47 
		
	
	This information is available in the Commission's annual assessment reports, which are sent to all hon. Members, and on the Commission website as part of a tool which allows the comparison of year on year performance or between EROs.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, which electoral registration officers did not meet the participation standard to promote electoral registration in their community in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that 47 electoral registration officers did not meet the participation standard in the latest period of data collection. The local authority areas of the relevant EROs are shown in the following list. The Commission informs me that this information can also be found in its annual assessment reports and on the Commission's website.
	Adur
	Ashford
	Barking and Dagenham
	Basildon
	Blaenau Gwent
	Broadland
	Boston
	Broxtowe
	Cannock Chase
	Cardiff
	Ceredigion
	Cherwell
	Chiltern
	Christchurch
	Corby
	Craven
	Dacorum
	Eastbourne
	East Lindsey
	East Hertfordshire
	Eden
	Fenland
	Flintshire
	Halton
	Hambleton
	Harrogate
	Isle of Anglesey
	Kingston upon Hull
	Lewes
	Luton
	Maldon
	Middlesbrough
	Milton Keynes
	Norwich
	North Lincolnshire
	Portsmouth
	Preston
	Redbridge
	Rugby
	Solihull
	Spelthorne
	Stroud
	Sutton
	Uttlesford
	Worthing
	Wycombe
	Wiltshire

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Officers

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) uniformed officers at three and four stars in the (i) Army, (ii) Royal Navy and (iii) Royal Air Force and (b) civilian officers at the same rank there were (A) in May 2010 and (B) on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: The following table lists the number of officers of the armed forces and Ministry of Defence civilians of four and three-star rank/status as at 1 May 2010 and 1 May 2011 respectively.
	
		
			 Rank/status Service 1 May 2010 1 May 2011 
			 4 star Royal Navy 2 2 
			  Army 5 6 
			  Royal Air Force 3 2 
			  Civilian 3 4 
			     
			 3 star Royal Navy 9 7 
			  Army 14 9 
			  Royal Air Force 9 8 
			  Civilian 7 6 
			 Note: The figures for any one date will include officers undertaking resettlement activity prior to retirement and their replacement taking up a post early to allow for continuity.

Armed Forces: Officers

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new three and four star roles for (a) military and (b) civilian staffs have been created since May 2010; and whether any compensatory savings have been made elsewhere.

Andrew Robathan: Since May 2010 no new three or four-star posts have been created. Three three-star posts have had their responsibilities amended, and have been retitled accordingly. Within Defence Engineering and Support, the Chief of Corporate Performance has become Director General Resources and the Chief Operating Officer is now Chief of Materiel (Joint Enablers). Separately the Chief Executive of Defence Estates is now Director General Infrastructure. In addition, the three-star civilian post of Director General Commercial post has been deleted.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with military tailors about the cost of dress uniforms for officers;
	(2)  what the cost to his Department was of (a) dress and (b) military uniform in the most recent year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The majority of contracts for military and dress uniforms for all three services are placed by the Defence Clothing Team (DCT) within Defence Equipment and Support. Spend on military uniforms (including jackets, trousers, shirts, headwear and footwear) in financial year 2010-11 was £42.5 million. Spend on dress (parade and ceremonial) uniforms for the same period was £9.2 million.
	There are also some locally placed contracts for uniforms and ceremonial dress where expenditure totalled £218,000 in the last year.
	Regular discussions take place between DCT and their potential bidders and actual suppliers on specifications and other aspects of the contracts as well as specific negotiations on contract price.

Aviation: Aircraft Carriers

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of (a) operating (i) aircraft from Italy and (ii) an aircraft carrier within 20 miles of Libya for (A) one and (B) three months and (b) moving an aircraft carrier from the UK to Libya.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 17 June 2011
	I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

Defence: Procurement

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on improving defence procurement since the appointment of the new Chief of Defence Materiel; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: The new Chief of Defence Materiel, appointed at the beginning of January 2011, has initiated a fundamental review to establish the core role for Defence Equipment and Support and how it can deliver its business most efficiently and effectively. This review, known as The Materiel Strategy, will be coherent with Defence Reform outcomes and the forthcoming ‘Equipment, Support, and Technology for UK Defence and Security’ White Paper that is expected to be published later this year. The Materiel Strategy will be implemented from early 2012 onwards.
	Additionally, I have established the Major Projects Review Board that met for the first time on 13 June 2011. This new board scrutinises the Department's highest value equipment projects to ensure tight financial controls are in place and that performance and time targets are met. Those responsible for projects forecasting significant slippage, cost growth, or performance shortfalls will be robustly held to account.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what strategic framework his Department has developed for the delivery of its core functions during the comprehensive spending review period.

Liam Fox: The Ministry of Defence's delivery of its core functions during the comprehensive spending review period is outlined in the Department's business plan 2011-15, This sets out the vision and priorities until 2015 against the backdrop of the 2010 National Security Strategy and the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). The business plan, like those of every other Government Department, contains five sections: vision, coalition priorities, structural reform plan, departmental expenditure, and transparency. The structural reform plan in particular covers key activities that were outlined in the SDSR White Paper including restructuring the armed forces and their capabilities, rebuilding the armed forces covenant and developing the new employment model, delivering Defence reform, and ensuring that all our other tasks are carried out in an effective, efficient, and sustainable way.
	Progress against the Department's business plan is set out in the structural reform plan monthly updates and the forthcoming quarterly data summary, which will be published in due course on the following website:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/Transparency/

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what regulations his Department introduced between 1 March 2011 and 31 May 2011; and what the estimated costs of implementation for those affected were in each case.

Andrew Robathan: Between 1 March and 31 May 2011, the Ministry of Defence introduced six new items of secondary legislation, namely:
	The Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme (Amendment) Order 2011
	The Thetford Range Byelaws 2011
	The Pensions Appeal Tribunals Act 1943 (Time Limit for Appeals) (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	The Pensions Appeal Tribunals Act 1943 (Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme) (Rights of Appeal) Regulations 2011
	The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Trading Fund Order 2011
	The Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2005 (Amendment) Order 2011
	It is not estimated that there will be any cost implications to those affected by these new instruments.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the name is of each regulatory measure revoked by his Department between 1 March and 31 May 2011; and what estimate he has made of the potential annual saving to those affected by each revocation.

Andrew Robathan: Between 1 March and 31 May 2011, the Ministry of Defence has revoked the following seven regulatory measures:
	The Pensions Appeal Tribunals (Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation) (Rights of Appeal) Regulations 2005
	The Pensions Appeal Tribunals (Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme) (Rights of Appeal) Amendment Regulations 2006
	The Defence Research Agency Trading Fund Order 1993
	The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency Trading Fund Order 1995
	The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency Trading Fund (Amendment) Order 1996
	The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Trading Fund Order 2001
	The Thetford Rifle Range in the County of Norfolk Byelaws 1916
	These revocations have come as the result of the regular updating and consolidation of departmental secondary legislation, and are not estimated to have any financial impact.

Departmental Travel

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on special advisers' travel by (a) Government car, (b) private hire car, (c) train, (d) bus, (e) commercial aircraft and (f) private aircraft in each year between May 2004 and May 2010.

Liam Fox: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Kenya: Military Bases

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration his Department is giving to the upgrading of the British Army training base in Kenya as part of the UK's long-term military training needs.

Nick Harvey: The strategic defence and security review confirmed that the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) will remain pivotal to meeting the training needs of the Army. The drivers for further investment include the continued UK presence in Kenya within a strategic context and the need for improved logistic efficiency.
	On current plans we intend to relocate BATUK MAIN and the Battlegroup Forward Mounting Base (BG FMB) from their current locations at Turako Farm and Nanyuki to a single site on Laikiapi Airbase (East). Approval of £7 million to deliver accommodation and other facilities was agreed in March this year. Ground works commenced shortly after with an estimated completion date of April 2012.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sorties flown by the RAF have involved the discharge of bombs or missiles against targets in Libya on each day since the commencement of military action.

Nick Harvey: From the start of the UN Security Council Resolution 1973 operations in Libya on 19 March up to 14 June 2011, UK aircraft have flown about 200 sorties which have involved the discharge of bombs or missiles against targets in Libya. I cannot, however, disclose further information as this would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's officials are working on post-conflict planning for Libya.

Nick Harvey: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is working with Whitehall partners in supporting and planning for the post-conflict efforts in Libya. Within the MOD there are a range of units in main building, London and the permanent joint headquarters, Northwood working exclusively on Libya. Many of the military and civilian officials are providing support to the post-conflict planning in addition to their permanent duties and it is not therefore possible to calculate the precise number.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) discussions he has had with and (b) representations he has received from senior armed forces personnel on the level of the UK's military commitment in Libya.

Liam Fox: holding answer 20 June 2011
	I have frequent dialogue with our senior armed forces personnel regarding Defence matters including our military support to NATO operations in Libya.

Military Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the availability rate was of each TriStar aircraft in each of the last 12 months.

Nick Harvey: The available information is shown in the following table. The figures represent the average number of airframes from each TriStar variant available in the forward fleet during each month of 2010. The forward fleet comprises aircraft which are serviceable and those which are short-term unserviceable.
	
		
			 TriS  tar forward fleet 
			  C2 KC1 K1 
			 January 2 2.9 0 
			 February 1.9 2.5 0 
			 March 1.9 2.9 0.5 
			 April 2 3.3 1 
			 May 1 3.8 0.7 
			 June 1 3.8 0.9 
			 July 0.8 3.9 1 
			 August 1 4 1 
			 September 1 4 1 
			 October 1 4 0 
			 November 1.4 2.8 0.7 
			 December 1.6 2.3 1 
		
	
	I will write to the hon. Member shortly.
	Substantive answer from Nick Harvey to Angus Robertson:
	I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question of the 13 January 2011 (Official Report, column 444W) about the availability rate of TriStar aircraft in each of the last 12 months. I apologise for the delay in replying.
	I have already provided you with the average number of TriStar aircraft available per month during 2010. The figures in the tables below show the availability expressed as a percentage of the forward fleet that was categorised as fit for purpose, which I hope you will find helpful. I have also added figures for the first three months of 2011 in order to bring the information as up to date as possible. As there is always an expectation that some maintenance tasks will be carried out and the fleet numbers are small, the figures would never reach 100%. The Forward Fleet comprises aircraft which are serviceable and those which are short-term unserviceable, and could therefore be recalled if needed at short notice. Fit for purpose (FFP) aircraft include only serviceable aircraft available to the front-line commands for operational and training purposes.
	
		
			 2010 
			  FFP/Fwd Fleet percentage 
			 January 59.2 
			 February 67.5 
			 March 47.0 
			 April 49.2 
		
	
	
		
			 May 36.5 
			 June 47.4 
			 July 42.4 
			 August 48.8 
			 September 60.7 
			 October 58.0 
			 November 55.0 
			 December (1)38.4 
			 (1 )December 2010/January 2011 figures were low due to severe weather conditions in the UK. 
		
	
	
		
			 2011 
			  FFP/Fwd Fleet percentage 
			 January 38.8 
			 February 43.2 
			 March 67.7 
		
	
	As you will be aware the TriStar VC10 fleets are due to leave service in December 2013 and March 2013 respectively and will be replaced by the more capable Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft.
	I hope this explains the situation.

Military Bases: Cyprus

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2011, Official Report, column 416W, on British Sovereign Base, what level of security clearance, Lord Ashcroft has been given in his capacity as senior independent adviser to the study of British sovereign base areas in Cyprus.

Liam Fox: holding answer 17 June 2011
	The noble Lord, Lord Ashcroft, has been given the required security clearance. It would not however be appropriate to provide details of an individual's security clearance.

Territorial Army

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration his Department is giving to a potential restructuring of the Territorial Army.

Andrew Robathan: As part of the strategic defence and security review, the Prime Minister commissioned a study into the future role and structure of the reserve forces, which includes the Territorial Army. The study has yet to report its findings, and I anticipate that a statement will be made to the House shortly.

TREASURY

Budget: June 2010

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the progressive effects of the measures in the June 2010 Budget which have been implemented to date.

Justine Greening: The Government published detailed analysis of the impact of measures announced at the June Budget 2010. Charts A1 and A2 in Annex A of Budget 2010 show the impact of measures announced at that fiscal event, in 2012-13.
	The majority of these measures have now been implemented. These charts show that the most well-off households make the largest contribution to fiscal consolidation in both cash terms and as a proportion of their net income.

Structural Deficit

Andrew Selous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the size of the structural deficit.

Danny Alexander: The independent OBR published their latest forecasts for the structural deficit in the March “Economic and Fiscal Outlook”. The OBR forecast shows the structural deficit was 7.4% GDP in 2010-11.

Job Creation: Manufacturing

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the rate of job creation in the manufacturing sector.

Justine Greening: Compared with previous trends, the 8,000 extra jobs created in manufacturing over the last two quarters is encouraging. In the decade preceding the recession, an average of 30,000 jobs were lost in manufacturing every quarter.
	Private surveys of employment intentions are also encouraging; all main surveys suggest that employment intentions are above their long-run average in the manufacturing sector.

Unemployment Forecast

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likelihood that unemployment figures in 2011 will meet the forecast for that year made by the Office for Budget Responsibility in June 2010.

Justine Greening: The OBR published the latest official forecast for unemployment at Budget 2011 in March. This forecast was revised since June 2010, to account for new developments in the economy and policies announced at Budget 2011.
	The OBR forecast at Budget 2011 was for the unemployment rate to be 8.2% in 2011. Since the latest forecast was published, the unemployment rate has fallen from 7.9% to 7.7%.

Tax: Equality

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects on equality of the UK tax system.

David Gauke: The Government have taken significant steps to improve tax policy making since coming into office. This has included a new approach to impact analysis for tax measures. The Government now publish a Tax Information and Impact Note for individual tax policy changes. These explicitly include an assessment of the equalities impact of each individual measure.

Inland Revenue: Merger

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the merger between the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise.

David Gauke: No formal review has been conducted. HMRC has faced a number of significant challenges since its formation in 2005 but it plays a vital role in restoring public finances through the tax it collects.
	This is why we invested over £900 million in HMRC at the spending review, which is planned to bring in an additional £7 billion of revenue a year.

Charity Bequests

Helen Grant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal measures he is taking to encourage bequests to charities.

Justine Greening: The philanthropy package announced at Budget represents the most radical and generous reforms to charitable giving for more than 20 years. The package is expected to increase funding to charities by around £600 million over the life of this Parliament by making it easier for people to give to charity and for charities to benefit from that gift.
	To help foster a culture of charitable bequests, from April 2012 we will allow a 10% reduction in inheritance tax where 10% or more of an estate is left to charity, encouraging people to consider increasing existing bequests, and to promote a discussion of legacies when people make or alter their wills.
	The Treasury is currently consulting on this measure and welcomes responses from interested parties.

Aggregates Levy: Northern Ireland

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to ensure that those who import stone to Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland are aware of their liability for the aggregates levy.

Justine Greening: HM Treasury and Northern Ireland Executive Ministers hold regular discussions on issues of taxation, including ways to improve compliance.
	In addition, HM Revenue and Customs have issued a news briefing drawing attention to the responsibility of those who import stone to Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland to register and account for aggregates levy. This has been widely reported in the Northern Ireland press.

Aggregates Levy: Northern Ireland

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the aggregates levy on the competitiveness of the quarrying industry in Northern Ireland.

Justine Greening: A Government-sponsored report produced by the Symonds Group in October 2003 confirmed that the introduction of the aggregates levy in 2002 had put firms in the Northern Ireland aggregates industry in a more difficult competitive position than expected.
	This resulted in the introduction in April 2004 of the aggregates levy credit scheme, which granted an 80% relief to producers who entered into environmental agreements with the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment. The Government are working with the Northern Ireland Executive to establish the impact of the suspension of the credit scheme on the quarrying industry there, and to gather data to support efforts to have it reinstated.

Anne Frank Trust UK

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the speech he gave at 11 Downing street to mark the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Anne Frank Trust UK; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: In accordance with the ‘Ministerial Code’, and in line with the practice of previous Administrations, the Treasury is content for 11 Downing street to be used as a venue for events by charities, as long as those are not used for commercial, fundraising or sponsorship purposes. The Chancellor was pleased to host the Anne Frank Trust twentieth anniversary event on 1 June. He did not make a speech at the event. Speeches made by Treasury Ministers are available via the Treasury website.

Conditions of Employment

Julian Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with (a) officials in his Department, (b) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and (c) outside organisations on the potential effects of changes arising from the review of employment law on matters within his Department's responsibilities.

Justine Greening: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sector as part of the process of policy development and implementation. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Departmental Data Protection

Andrew Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to promote visual data security in his Department; and what training his Department provides to its officials in respect of the management of visual data security.

Justine Greening: The Department has in place policies and guidance covering all forms of visual data security, which is provided to staff on the Treasury intranet. This covers such things as protective markings, the handling and storage of sensitive information and assets, adhering to the Treasury's clear desk policy, and the monitoring and reporting of any security related incidents. Reminders are issued periodically.
	All new staff are made aware of the importance of visual data security during their induction training, and all staff also have to undertake a mandatory e-learning course on an annual basis.

Departmental Written Questions

Michael Crockart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of parliamentary questions for written answer his Department answered within 28 days of the date set down for answer in the latest period for which figures are available.

Justine Greening: As of 31 May, 4,555 of the 4,654 written parliamentary questions tabled to the Treasury in the current session (98%) had received substantive replies within 28 days.

East Midlands

Chris Williamson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the (a) direct and (b) indirect contribution to (i) the economy, (ii) employment and (iii) the public finances of offices of Government departments and agencies in (A) Derby, (B) Leicester and (C) Nottingham.

Danny Alexander: We do not hold information on the direct and indirect contributions that Government Departments and agencies make to the economy, employment and the public finances in Derby, Leicester and Nottingham.
	However, there are publicly available data that show the direct contribution that the public sector as a whole makes to employment. Data from 2008 (latest available) show the following numbers of public sector employees:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Derby 27,300 
			 Leicester 38,000 
			 Nottingham 49,100 
		
	
	There are also publicly available data on the contribution that these places as a whole make to the UK economy. Gross value added (GVA) figures, which measure a place's contribution to the UK economy according to the value of goods and services it produces, show that: Derby contributed nearly £5.5 billion, Leicester contributed £6.2 billion, and Nottingham contributed over £7.6 billion to the UK economy in 2008 (latest data available).
	The datasets referred to above are available from:
	http://stats.berr.gov.uk/ppse/index.asp
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/product.asp?vlnk=14650

Financial Services

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 5 April 2011, Official Report, column 893W, on financial services, if he will publish the letters sent by the remuneration committee chair of each bank confirming its commitments as part of Project Merlin have been met.

Mark Hoban: The Government are closely monitoring the banks' progress in meeting the commitments made under Project Merlin, and will provide further information at the appropriate time.

Financial Services: Taxation

Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on proposals to introduce a financial transaction tax to raise funds for overseas development assistance.

Mark Hoban: The Government of France have announced that discussion of financial transactions taxes will be one of their priorities for their presidency of the G20 this year. In addition, as requested by ECOFIN, the European Commission is currently preparing an impact assessment on financial sector taxation, including financial transactions taxes.
	The UK Government believe a financial transactions tax would need to be applied globally to prevent the relocation of financial services and are willing to engage in further international discussions of such taxes.
	This Government remain committed to the international development agenda. In the spending review, the Government announced their plans to meet the international commitment for official development assistance of 0.7% of gross national income from 2013. We believe that the debate on innovative financing options for development should not distract from member states’ official development assistance commitments.

National Insurance Contributions

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to the merits of extending the national insurance contributions holiday to all businesses who employ less than four staff members.

David Gauke: The Government have considered the case for extending the national insurance contributions holiday to all existing micro businesses.
	The Government believe the best use of public funds at this time is to keep the holiday as a targeted scheme for those areas in most need of employment support.

New Businesses: Northampton

Brian Binley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many new businesses have been set up in Northampton South constituency since the introduction of the national insurance contributions holiday;
	(2)  how many new businesses he estimated would be set up in Northampton South constituency as a result of the national insurance contributions holiday for new small businesses.

David Gauke: Information on how many new businesses have been set up in individual constituencies is not available.
	The NICs Holiday scheme is designed to support new businesses in their first year by reducing the costs of hiring staff. It provides a benefit to new businesses by increasing incentives to take on employees and improving the likelihood of business survival in the potentially vulnerable early stages.
	No estimates were made for the number of businesses that would take up the NICs Holiday on a constituency level.

Private Finance Initiative: Wales

Guto Bebb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many private finance initiative projects there are in each parliamentary constituency in Wales.

Danny Alexander: There are 24 private finance initiative (PFI) projects in Wales. Details of each project are available on the Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ppp_pfi_stats.htm
	This data was updated in March 2011 and was provided by the Welsh Assembly. It has not been audited by the Treasury.
	
		
			 Constituency Number of PFI projects 
			 Aberavon 1 
			 Caerphilly 1 
			 Cardiff South and Penarth 2 
			 Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire 2 
			 Ceredigion 1 
			 Clwyd West 1 
			 Conwy 2 
			 Islwyn 1 
			 Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney 1 
			 Monmouth 4 
			 Newport East 2 
			 Newport West 1 
			 Ogmore 1 
			 Pontypridd 2 
			 Wrexham 1 
			 Ynys Mon 1

Public Sector: Females

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of the recession on the number of public sector jobs held by women in (a) Wales and (b) the UK.

Danny Alexander: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes quarterly statistics on public sector employment, including a breakdown by region (but not by gender), which are available on a consistent basis from 1999. The latest release can be found at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/pse0611.pdf
	Furthermore, the independent Office for Budget Responsibility published, as part of the ‘Economic and Fiscal Outlook’ on 23 March 2011, projections for general government employment to 2015-16, which can be found at:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/wordpress/docs/economic_and_fiscal_outlook_23032011.pdf
	The OBR has not produced a breakdown by gender, or by region.

Revenue and Customs: Internet

Julian Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps HM Revenue and Customs has taken to improve the comprehensibility of the language used on its websites.

David Gauke: HMRC have implemented a changed approach to dealing with core content on its website:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk
	This entails a customer centric approach to writing and presenting information—writing content in plain English and organising it in a way that is more intuitive for the Department's customers, aiding comprehensibility and accessibility.
	Not all areas of the site have been improved in this way, but HMRC have prioritised around subject areas where the Department receives most customer contact such as Income Tax, Pay As You Earn and VAT. This approach is in line with requirements set by the cross departmental sites:
	www.businesslink.gov.uk
	(which HMRC manages) and
	www.direct.gov.uk
	Customer feedback is also being used to ensure that this web content continues to be modified and improved on an ongoing basis.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on progress of negotiations with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Alistair Burt: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), on 16 June 2011, Official Report, column 903W.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the progress of the Afghan High Council for Peace in negotiating a political reconciliation with the Taliban.

Alistair Burt: Since its establishment in October last year, the High Peace Council has convened governors' roadshows in provinces across Afghanistan to take forward the reintegration of former fighters into mainstream communities. It has also undertaken outreach visits to Pakistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan. High Peace Council Chairman Rabbani accompanied President Karzai during his visit to Pakistan on 10 June and participated in the inaugural meeting of Afghanistan and Pakistan's Joint Commission for Peace and Reconciliation.

Afghanistan: Taliban

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on sanctions against members of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

William Hague: I have had a number of discussions in recent weeks regarding the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 sanctions regime with our UN Security Council partners. These have included the need to ensure that the sanctions regime is an effective tool with which to counter the insurgency in Afghanistan.

Bahrain: Motor Sports

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had recent discussions with the Federation International de l'Automobile on the Bahrain Grand Prix.

William Hague: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), on 16 June 2011, Official Report, column 904W.

Colombia: Human Rights

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Colombian counterpart on Carmelo Agamez; and what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Colombia.

Jeremy Browne: Mr Agamez has been held in detention since 15 November 2008. Our Embassy in Bogota has made numerous representations in respect of his case and the delay in bringing it to trial. There is still no date set for Mr Agamez's trial. While we cannot interfere directly in the Colombian judicial system we continue to express our concern about the delay, which is extreme.
	Our increased engagement with Latin America and strategic partnership with Colombia provide a platform on which we can engage fully with the Colombian Government, including on human rights. I visited Colombia in May and took the opportunity to emphasise to President Santos the importance we continue to place on human rights. During my meeting with Vice President Garzon he reassured me of the determination of the Colombian Government to create a culture of zero tolerance for human rights violations'. I expressed our full support, but also stressed that much remained to be done. There are some signs of improvement; extrajudicial killings have reduced significantly over the past two years and a Victims and Land Restitution Bill which will return land to those from whom it was forcibly removed was recently signed into law. Despite these positive advances significant challenges remain. We will continue to raise our human rights concerns with the Colombian Government, including in relation to individuals who have been detained for long periods without trial.

Conditions of Employment

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) officials in his Department, (b) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and (c) outside organisations on the potential effects of changes arising from the review of employment law on matters within his Department's responsibilities.

Henry Bellingham: The review of employment-related laws being co-ordinated by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is a cross-Government initiative.
	All Departments with a responsibility for employment-related law are engaged in the process, and relevant Ministers and officials are in contact with BIS on a regular basis in taking forward the review. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not have responsibility for any of the areas arising from the review of employment law.

English Language

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of the population of (a) Brazil, (b) the Russian Federation, (c) India and (d) China who speak English.

William Hague: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not routinely collect or hold information on the numbers of English speakers in Brazil, the Russian Federation, India or China.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of his Department's officials are working on post-conflict planning for Libya.

William Hague: It is crucial that the international system starts planning early to help the Libyan people stabilise a future peace. Stabilisation Response Teams (SRT) provide an integrated and bespoke approach to post-conflict stabilisation, reconstruction and development.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is working with Whitehall partners in supporting and planning for post-conflict efforts in Libya. Within the FCO, there are a range of departments contributing to this work. There are also seven UK personnel working on post-conflict planning in the SRT and elsewhere in Libya.
	An SRT, comprising UK and international staff, travelled to eastern Libya in late May to assess and set out a well coordinated and effective response to the needs of the Libyan people by the international community in coordination with the UN. The International SRT is due to report to the international community in July. The UK is also working closely with a range of partners on post-conflict planning, including NATO, the UN, the EU and the Libya Contact Group.

Libya: Politics and Government

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of the Transitional National Council in Libya on outstanding issues relating to Libya's past involvement in IRA terrorism.

Alistair Burt: At the request of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have met members of the National Transitional Council in London and Benghazi to discuss a range of subjects, including Libya's past involvement in IRA terrorism.

Libya: UN Resolutions

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the enforcement of the non-military aspects of UN Security Council Resolution 1973.

William Hague: The arms embargo, flight ban and asset freeze mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1973 have all played an important role in putting pressure on the Qadhafi regime. It is also significant that the resolution sets out international condemnation of the regime's conduct and the individual identification of its worst members.

Maldives: Embassies

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will assess the merits of (a) establishing a British High Commission in the Maldives and (b) appointing an official to facilitate visa processing for Maldivian students who wish to study in the UK.

Jeremy Browne: We have no plans to open a high commission in Maldives. There is an Honorary Consul in Malé who handles any urgent consular issues on behalf of our high commission in Colombo which has formal responsibility for Maldives. Staff at our high commission undertake regular visits to Maldives, most recently on 8-9 June 2011.
	The UK Border Agency (UKBA) lead on visa policy and operations. We understand that the system UKBA put in place last year, with a dedicated time-slot for Maldivian student applications, was successful and will be repeated again this year.

North Africa: International Assistance

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the (a) source and (b) year of expenditure will be of the assistance to Egypt and Tunisia agreed at the recent G8 Deauville summit.

William Hague: At the Deauville summit on 26-27 May, the G8 agreed that multilateral development banks, including the World Bank, African Development Bank and European Investment Bank, could provide over $20 billion for Egypt and Tunisia in support of suitable reform efforts, for the period 2011-13.

Press TV

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the role of the Press TV television station; and if he will make a statement.

William Hague: We are concerned by the programmes and reporting of Iranian state-sponsored Press TV. Not only is much of the channel's output inaccurate and biased, but it has filmed and broadcast the forced confessions obtained under duress of individuals detained in Iran without access to fair trial. One such broadcast led to a complaint which was recently investigated and upheld by Ofcom, the UK's independent communications industry regulator. We are deeply concerned that Press TV appears complicit in such human rights violations.

Sri Lanka: Minority Groups

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the representation of minorities in state institutions in Sri Lanka.

Alistair Burt: The UK Government have made clear their concerns about the treatment of minorities in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Government itself has identified the need to increase minority representation in key state bodies and is also seeking to ensure more state officials are able to speak Tamil. During 2010, the police force launched recruitment drives to attract 1,500 Tamil civilians into the police force. In parallel, our high commission in Colombo has funded a number of projects to train more police officers to speak Tamil.

Sri Lanka: War Crimes

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the implementation of the UN Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka.

William Hague: We welcomed the publication of the UN Panel's Report and encourage Sri Lanka to act on the report's recommendations to lead to a process of accountability. The Report suggests that both the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were involved in potential violations of international law.
	The Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), Minister for South Asia, spoke to the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister on 14 June to make it clear that his Government needs to address the allegations of war crimes and that we expect to see progress on this by the end of the year. If the Sri Lankan Government does not respond, we will support the international community in revisiting all options available to press the Sri Lankan Government to fulfil its obligations.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what definition of (a) anti-Semitism and (b) anti-Semitic incidents his Department uses; what discussions he has had with the Jewish community on its definition since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Andrew Stunell: We recognise that the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights working definition of anti-Semitism is a useful tool in helping to identify anti-Semitic discourse and is used by a number of agencies for this purpose. Officials discussed the definition with representatives of the Jewish community on 6 and 20 June. The UK Government use the Macpherson definition of a racist incident, one that is perceived as racist by the victim or any other person, and this would include anti-Semitism.

Departmental Manpower

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy to publish monthly information on changes in the numbers of his Department's employees categorised by (a) seniority, (b) number of employees taking voluntary redundancy, (c) natural wastage and (d) involuntary redundancy.

Bob Neill: The Government are committed to transparency and the availability of data and are currently exploring options for the more frequent publication of this type of work force management information across the civil service.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government already publishes detailed headcount data, senior salaries and organograms and financial, property and procurement information with the Office for National Statistics and in conjunction with the wider commitment to publish data via HM Treasury for publication on the data.gov.uk website.
	DCLG has not yet taken a decision on the merits of including this additional level of detail, on a monthly basis.

Energy: Planning

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he received a request from (a) members of the Welsh Government or (b) the Secretary of State for Wales between 6 May and 20 May 2011 to meet to discuss planning issues relating to energy in Wales and its territorial waters.

Bob Neill: Ministers within the Department for Communities and Local Government regularly meet colleagues from the Wales Office to discuss a range of matters.
	The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government did not receive any meeting requests from members of the Welsh Assembly Government between 6 May and 20 May 2011.

Enterprise Zones

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2011, Official Report, column 1179W, on enterprise zones: non-domestic rates, on which date discussions began; and on which date each area was informed it would be an enterprise zone.

Bob Neill: Officials began discussions with some local authorities and local enterprise partnerships about the possible location of enterprise zones in March 2011. This followed decisions by the Chancellor about the criteria that should be used to select local enterprise partnership areas. Local enterprise partnerships were notified of the final decision to announce enterprise zones for their area on 23 March at Budget.

Enterprise Zones: Broadband

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 4 May 2011, Official Report, column 42W, what discussions on what dates he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport on superfast broadband in enterprise zones.

Bob Neill: Ministers within Department for Communities and Local Government regularly meet colleagues from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to discuss a range of matters.
	Officials in both departments wrote to local enterprise partnerships on 10 June outlining how superfast broadband will be rolled out in enterprise zones.

Enterprise Zones: Non-domestic Rates

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2011, Official Report, column 1179W, on enterprise zones: non-domestic rates, if he will estimate the monetary value of business rates to be retained by local authorities over the 25 years following the establishment of the enterprise zones set out in The Plan for Growth taking account of the location, size and nature of successful bids.

Bob Neill: As I outlined in my previous answer, this rate retention will depend on the location, size and nature of the successful bids, among other factors. The Department has received 29 expressions of interest for an enterprise zone from local enterprise partnerships, and final bids are due by the 30 June 2011. Successful bids will be announced by the end of July 2011.

Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which of his Department's public bodies utilise the Government Procurement Card; since what date each has been authorised to utilise the card; and how many cards were on issue in his Department and each of its public bodies in April 2010.

Bob Neill: The Department's public bodies have autonomy over the payment methods they may use and hence use the Government Procurement Card without authorisation. The number of public bodies which utilise the card and the number of cards that may be on issue, is not held centrally and could be supplied at only disproportionate cost.
	The Department itself had 74 cards in issue as of April 2010.
	As recommended by Sir Philip Green's report into Government efficiency, my Department has put in place more robust checks and balances over the use of the Government Procurement Card.

Land: Hexham

Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what plans he has for the disposal for housing development of unused state-owned land in Hexham constituency; and what timetable has been set for any such disposal;
	(2)  whether he has any plans for the future use or disposal of the former Stannington Hospital site in Hexham constituency.

Grant Shapps: On 8 June I announced plans to accelerate the release of public sector land for housing, and alongside this the Homes and Communities Agency published their development and land disposal strategy at:
	http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/sites/default/files/our-work/hca_development_and_land_disposal_strategy.pdf
	In the autumn, all major landholding departments will publish their plans to release land for housing development, and later this year a new map will be launched to show land and buildings owned by public bodies in each area.
	In respect of the Stannington hospital site, the Homes and Communities Agency has been working with the local planning authority to investigate possible alternative uses for it, and these investigations should be completed by the summer.

Local Government Finance: Sunderland

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding his Department allocated to Sunderland council in each of the last five years.

Bob Neill: The total grant funding allocated by the Department of Communities and Local Government to Sunderland council is as follows:
	
		
			 Sunderland 
			  £000 
			 2005-06 308,043 
			 2006-07 164,933 
			 2007-08 168,492 
			 2008-09 200,696 
			 2009-10 205,252 
		
	
	The definition of central Government grant used here is the sum of:
	formula grant (revenue support grant and redistributed non-domestic rates);
	specific grants inside Aggregate External Finance (i.e. revenue grants paid for council's core services) (only includes grants from this Department);
	specific grants outside Aggregate External Finance (only includes grants from this Department);
	Area Based Grant (from 2008-09); and
	‘other grants’ provided by all Government Departments.
	These figures are taken from revenue outturn forms provided by authorities after the end of a financial year. Figures for formula grant, Area Based Grant and other grants are aggregated grants for all Government Departments.
	Comparison across years may not be valid owing to changing local authority responsibilities and changes to funding methodology.

Mobile Homes

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many cases related to park homes (a) have been heard and (b) are scheduled to be heard in the next two months by the Residential Property Tribunal Service.

Grant Shapps: On 30 April 2011 residential property tribunals (RPTs) took over most of the adjudication role that was formally exercised by county courts in respect of disputes between residents and site owners under the Mobile Homes Act 1983. RPTs (a) have not determined any applications to date and (b) have received five applications which are scheduled to be determined within the next two months.

Mobile Homes

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to protect vulnerable residents of park home sites from unscrupulous site owners;
	(2)  what progress he has made on his plans to consult on improving the buying and selling process for park homes;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for North East Derbyshire of 27 April 2011, Official Report, column 459W, on mobile homes, what progress he has made on measures to improve the licensing regime that applies to park home sites to enable local authorities to more effectively ensure that the health and safety of residents are better protected.

Grant Shapps: I announced on 10 February 2011 my proposal to consult on a range of measures to improve the licensing regime which applies to park home and caravan sites so local authorities are better equipped and resourced to tackle problems of poor management in the sector and so better protect the health and safety of residents. I also announced that my plan to consult on improvements to the buying and selling process of park homes to prevent the unacceptable practice of the blocking of lawful sales by unscrupulous site owners and to provide an effective means of redress for residents where this happens. In May my officials and I met with key industry and resident partners, and my officials met separately with local authority partners and representatives of holiday caravan owners, to help inform the consultation and gain a better understanding of the expectations and aspirations of our partners in this sector of the housing market. I plan to publish the consultation in the summer.

National Planning Policy Framework

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to ensure that the National Planning Policy Framework will provide the same level of protection to pubs as National Planning Policy Statements.

Bob Neill: The National Planning Policy Framework will be a consolidated and more concise expression of national planning policies, but will include policy on safeguarding community facilities, including pubs. The draft Framework will be published for consultation shortly.

Non-domestic Rates

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2011, Official Report, column 1182W, on non-domestic rates, if he will estimate the average net rate yield per hereditament in England for each of the next four years.

Bob Neill: No estimates have been made of the net rate yield per hereditament in England for the next four years.

Non-domestic Rates

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2011, Official Report, column 1182W, on non-domestic rates, what the net yield per hereditament was in (a) each local authority area and (b) parliamentary constituency in England in each year between 1997-98 and 2010-11.

Bob Neill: I have today placed in the Library of the House a table containing details of the average national non-domestic rates yield per hereditament in each local authority area in England for the period 1998-99 to 2010-11.
	The data, which refer to the local lists only, are taken from national non-domestic rates returns submitted annually by all billing authorities in England.
	Average non-domestic rates are calculated by dividing the net rate yield, after deductions for reliefs, from local authorities' lists by the number of hereditaments on local lists as at 31 December of the previous year. The net yield is the total amount collected in the year irrespective of the year to which it relates. Comparisons across years should be treated with caution as figures will reflect changes in the number and type of hereditaments as well as changes to rateable values and multipliers.
	Data are collected at local authority level and it is not possible to provide data at constituency level.

Planning Permission: Wind Power

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if his Department will produce national planning guidance on planning considerations in respect of small wind farms.

Bob Neill: The National Planning Policy Framework will set out the Government's priorities for the planning system, including on renewable energy. We will consult on the Framework shortly.

Planning: Enforcement

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information he holds of the number of section 215 enforcement notices that have been issued by each local authority in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Bob Neill: My Department does not collect information on the number of section 215 notices issued by local authorities in England. The Welsh Assembly Government is responsible for policy and legislation on section 215 notices in Wales.

Public Houses

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps the Asset Transfer Unit has taken to (a) publicise measures to enable communities to take over pubs and (b) provide information for communities on taking over pubs;
	(2)  how many pubs have been taken over by community groups under the Asset Transfer scheme to date; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: No pubs have transferred under the Advancing Assets programme which was managed by the Asset Transfer Unit and funded by the DCLG between 2007 and 2011, and which has focussed on local authority assets. The DCLG continues to fund the unit to provide advice and guidance mainly to local authorities and community groups to assist the transfer of publicly owned assets to the community. The unit rarely advise groups seeking to take over pubs, and have done so only on three occasions since January.
	Pubs are extremely important assets for this country, contributing to the economy and providing local jobs. They can also provide local hubs that strengthen community relationships and encourage wider social action.
	The Government want to help to protect local pubs where they are important community assets, and to ensure that they are working in the best interests of the communities they serve. The Government have introduced provisions in the Localism Bill for a Community Right to Buy to give community groups a fairer chance to bid to buy assets of community value (which could include, for example, the last pub in a village) by being able to nominate such assets for listing, and having the time to prepare a bid for listed assets when they are put up for sale.
	We are strongly supportive of the work of organisations which advise community groups seeking to acquire pubs, for example, the Pub is the Hub and the Plunkett Foundation, both of which offer advice and guidance and disseminate good practice to community groups wishing to take over and manage pubs.
	We are currently considering the use of a number of social finance initiatives (such as the development of community shares and the big society bank) which will make it easier for community organisations to gain the necessary finance without reliance on central Government grants.

Tenant Services Authority: Government Procurement

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood of 17 May 2011, Official Report, column 149W, on the Tenant Services Authority: Government Procurement Card, what (a) the venue was and (b) suppliers were procured by the Tenants Services Authority through the Government Procurement Card for the Manchester away day team building event in December 2009.

Andrew Stunell: The venue for the Tenant Services Authority away day in December 2009 was the organisation's offices in Manchester. The only item procured using the Government Procurement Card on this occasion was refreshments, which were supplied by the City Inn Manchester.
	The Government have now put in place spending protocols which will prevent unnecessary expenditure of this nature in the future. The Tenant Services Authority is being abolished as a result of the arm’s length bodies review.

Trade Unions

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff of (a) his Department, (b) the Fire Service College, (c) Ordnance Survey, (d) the Planning Inspectorate and (e) the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre are entitled to work (i) full-time as trade union representatives and (ii) part-time on trade union activities; how many such staff are paid more than £25,900 annually; and what the cost to the public purse of employing such staff on such duties was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: Neither my Department nor any of the other bodies for which information has been requested specify the number of full-time or part-time trade union representative roles within the organisation. Rather, DCLG, Ordnance Survey and the Planning Inspectorate each set a maximum level of facility time which is available for trade union activities and a maximum number of full-time and part-time roles which are permitted within that maximum allocation. Neither the Fire Service College nor the QEII Conference Centre set a formal facility time allowance, and currently the QEII Conference Centre has no official union representatives.
	The Department and its agencies do not pay any money directly to the trade unions representing staff. The Department pays the salary and related costs (travel and subsistence etc.) for a number of DCLG staff undertaking trade unions activities in this Department on a full and part-time basis.
	These are arrangements the current Government have inherited from the last Administration.
	Against that backdrop, the position for each of the bodies is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Department for Communities and Local Government Fire Service College Ordnance Survey Planning Inspectorate QEII Conference Centre 
			 Overall 2011-12 facility time allocation (days) 1,000 0 1,125 685 0 
			 Maximum permitted full-time representatives 2 (1)— 1 1 0 
			 Actual number of full-time representatives 2 0 1 1 0 
			 Maximum permitted part-time representatives 4 (1)— 3 1 0 
			 Actual number of part-time representatives 4 0 3 1 0 
			 Relevant staff paid over £25,900 5 0 1 1 0 
			 Total cost (£) 152,000-157,000 0 75,000-80,000 60,000-65,000 0 
			 (1 )No official limit in place 
		
	
	In compiling this information:
	We have defined 'part-time' as individuals who spend at least one dedicated day per week on union activities as part of their normal role. On that basis, we have excluded all staff who undertake union activities on an ad hoc basis within the overall facility time allowance; and
	The total cost figures are full year figures for 2010-11. For DCLG, the costs are what the full year costs would have been if the same post holders had been in place for the full year (ie not allowing for vacancies and changes in post holder during the year).

Youth Services: Manpower

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the number of detached youth workers in local authorities who have been made redundant since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The Department has made no such estimate. Detailed local government pay and work force issues—including staff efficiencies—are rightly matters for individual councils as local employers. Policy on youth services is not a matter for the Department for Communities and Local Government.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Broadband

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of people in Bexley who live in areas with low-speed broadband.

Edward Vaizey: Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) is assessing current broadband provision at community level across the UK in its, work to deliver the coalition Government's objective to facilitate universal broadband access of at least 2 Mbps and achieve the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015.
	BDUK do not hold data on the number of people with low-speed broadband by constituency. However, BDUK estimates that the number of premises in the London borough of Bexley with a connection speed of less than 2 Mbps is 2,200, out of a total number of approximately 98,500 premises.

Broadband

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of people in North East Hertfordshire constituency who live in areas with low-speed broadband.

Edward Vaizey: The North East Hertfordshire constituency has 42,451 premises. Of these premises, approximately 8% receive less than 2 Mbit/s and 4% receive less than 0.5 Mbit/s.
	Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) defines a premise with less than 2 Mbit/s as a "slowspot" (the figure above includes those premises with less than 0.5 Mbit/s). BDUK defines a premise with less than 0.5 Mbit/s as a "notspot".

Conditions of Employment

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with (a) officials in his Department, (b) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and (c) outside organisations on the potential effects of changes arising from the review of employment law on matters within his Department's responsibilities.

John Penrose: The Secretary of State For Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has not held discussions with officials, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills or outside organisations on the effects of the potential implementation of changes arising from the review of employment law.

Contracts: Businesses

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of contracts let by (a) his Department and (b) agencies for which he is responsible were awarded to companies in (i) Wales and (ii) Aberavon constituency in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: During the accounting period 2010-11, the Department and its agency awarded no contracts in Wales or the Aberavon constituency, but all contracts were made available for companies and organisations to bid for where services and goods were not secured through framework agreements. The Department does however have an on-going contract in Newport.

Departmental Manpower

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many staff were employed by non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible in (a) May 2010 and (b) on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Jeremy Hunt: The information requested is not held by this Department and relates to matters that are the responsibility of our public bodies.
	Accordingly, I have asked the chief executives of each public body to write directly to the hon. Member for Bury South.
	Copies of the replies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departmental Manpower

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many officials his Department employs.

Jeremy Hunt: As at 20 June 2011, my Department employed 461.3 full-time equivalents.

Departmental Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what progress his Department has made in encouraging small businesses to bid for Government contracts.

John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has adopted the following initiatives to encourage small and medium businesses to bid for Government contracts:
	No pre-qualification questionnaires in order to ensure the procurement and tendering process is easier for smaller organisations;
	Advertise all procurements over £10,000 on the website Contracts Finder;
	The external website clearly shows procurement contacts and telephone numbers if small and medium enterprises wish to contact procurement direct;
	DCMS have also agreed to provide a mentoring and advice service to other central Departments and its own non-departmental public bodies, drawing on its experience of working with small and medium enterprises and processes used to increase the level of small and medium enterprises participation in its business.
	Early indications are that the progress made by the Department will exceed the Government's aspiration of 25% during the last financial year.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what regulations his Department introduced between 1 March 2011 and 31 May 2011; and what the estimated costs of implementation for those affected were in each case.

John Penrose: Between 1 March 2011 and 31 May 2011, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport introduced through statutory instrument, a package of three regulatory measures to implement the revised EU electronic communications framework.
	Electronic Communications: The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive)(Amendment) Regulation 2011
	Electronic Communications: The Electronic Communications (Universal Service)(Amendment) Order 2011
	Electronic Communications: The Electronic Communications and Wireless Telegraphy Regulations 2011
	The annual equivalent cost of these measures on business is approximately £8 million.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the name is of each regulatory measure revoked by his Department between 1 March and 31 May 2011; and what estimate he has made of the potential annual saving to those affected by each revocation.

Edward Vaizey: Between 1 March 2011 and 31 May 2011, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport introduced The Multiplex Licence (Broadcasting of Programmes in Gaelic) (Revocation) Order 2011.
	There has been no impact on business or the civil society.

FIFA

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will hold discussions with members of the FIFA Executive Committee on reform of the governance structure of FIFA.

Hugh Robertson: Recent events have shown that FIFA must become much more transparent and accountable for the good of the worldwide game. Sepp Blatter has said that the 'football family' will get FIFA's house in order and I am sure our FA will play a key part in that. I will support them in whatever way they feel is most helpful. In the meantime I will also continue to press for change in partnership with other European Sports Ministers.

FIFA

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the reform of FIFA.

Jeremy Hunt: I have begun working to ensure that the governance of football, and specifically FIFA, is considered at the next EU Sports Ministers meeting under the Polish presidency.

Internet: Pornography

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his policy is on a requirement for the use of blocking software by internet users to prevent the viewing of pornography.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 20 June 2011
	Both I and the Government are committed to ensuring children can use the internet safely. I have already had a number of roundtables with the ISPs to look at creating a voluntary code to protect children from viewing potentially harmful websites.
	Government chairs the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) which is responsible for ensuring children are protected from harmful and inappropriate content when online.
	Through UKCCIS, we are working with industry to ensure that all consumers are able to make an active choice at point of sale, or when they first switch on their internet-enabled technologies, if they want parental control filters to be activated. This approach was also recommended in the recently published Bailey Review.

Olympic Games 2012

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what representations the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games has received on the suitability of Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire as a location on the route for the London 2012 Olympics torch.

Hugh Robertson: On 18 May 2011 the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) announced the torch relay's 66 evening celebrations and six of the island visits. LOCOG is now proceeding with the detailed planning of the route for the morning and afternoons of each day, to ensure that the torch comes within an hour's journey of 95% of the UK population.
	This is being done in consultation with stakeholders across the UK in every region. The route for the west midlands will be agreed following engagement with stakeholders across the region, including local authorities. The route will be finalised and announced later this year.

Olympic Games 2012

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games on the proportion of tickets for the London 2012 Olympics that were available in the UK ballot.

Hugh Robertson: The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is a private company independent of Government, but it has kept me informed of their ticketing strategy as it has developed. LOCOG's aims have been to raise the revenues it requires to stage the Games; to provide affordable and accessible tickets; and to deliver full venues. Of the 8.8 million tickets available for the Olympic Games, 75% are being made available through the UK application process to the public. Of these, 2.5 million will be £20 or under.

Olympic Games 2012

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to prevent disruption to residents over the course of the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: Following the good work of the Olympic Delivery Authority during the build phase, all 2012 delivery partners are clear that they wish to continue to minimise inconvenience to local residents. However, given the scale of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, some disruption is inevitable.
	It will be 'business as unusual' in the summer of 2012. Transport for London are currently engaging with businesses to explain the transport challenges that the capital will face with the increase of spectators next summer. There will be a public information campaign next year. There has been public consultation on the Olympic and Paralympic route networks which affect just 0.1% of London roads. Extensive consultation and engagement with people who may be affected by the Olympic Transport Plan has been under way since the first version was published in 2007, with the most recent version being published on 1 June. Minimising the impact on business as usual is at the heart of the transport operations being delivered for the games.
	Games venues that require planning consent have been put forward for pre-consultation setting out potential disruptions, and measures to mitigate them. Plans have then been adapted based on feedback from the local community.

Olympic Games 2012: Tickets

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many tickets for the London 2012 Olympics have been allocated to sponsors at no charge.

Hugh Robertson: There are no free tickets. As part of its contract with LOCOG, each commercial partner has the right to purchase at face-value a small number of tickets to attend the Games. 8% of tickets are available to sponsors and stakeholders, but these do not come from the 75% of tickets available through the UK application process to the public.
	The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is a private company independent of Government, and must raise the revenues it requires to stage the Games. Revenues raised through sponsorship are an essential component of this funding, providing around £700 million of LOCOG's £2 billion budget.

Olympic Games 2012: Tickets

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps are being taken to prevent the illegal reselling of tickets for the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: We are committed to ensuring that illegal touting of tickets does not spoil the Games. The London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (Amendment) Bill, currently before Parliament, proposes increasing the maximum penalty for illegal reselling of Games tickets from £5,000 to £20,000.
	In addition, the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) and the Metropolitan Police Service's dedicated unit to respond to serious and organised crime networks targeting the Games economy—Operation Podium—are working to deal with organised ticket crime, counterfeiting and Olympic-related fraud.
	Through the UK application process, LOCOG's ticketing system will help to make sure that tickets get into the hands of fans who will want to attend. For a variety of reasons, some people will however want to sell their tickets. LOCOG's resale platform, the official London 2012 ticket exchange website, will be available early next year for anyone wishing to sell or exchange the tickets that they purchased. This will be the only legal selling mechanism and will provide a safe and secure gateway without resort to touting.
	LOCOG is urging people to beware of unauthorised websites which claim to sell tickets to London 2012, and to use their website checker on:
	http://www.tickets.london2012.com
	to confirm whether a website is genuine or not.

Paralympic Games 2012

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of disabled access for (a) athletes and (b) the public to venues for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: Inclusive design has been incorporated from the start of the Olympic Delivery Authority's (ODA) design process, so that the Olympic Park, Olympic Village, and new transport services, will be accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities both during and after the games.
	The ODA has adopted a Built Environment Access Panel (BEAP) and Access and Inclusion Forum (AIF), who have worked closely with designers to build accessible solutions into the designs. All planning applications have included ‘Access Statements’—bringing accessibility and inclusive design into the planning process.
	In 2008 the ODA published its Inclusive Design Strategy and Standards setting out the framework for how the Olympic Park will be designed and constructed to be inclusive to all. This can be found at the following link:
	http://www.london2012.com/documents/oda-publications/inclusive-design-standards.pdf
	The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is responsible for staging both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and will ensure that they will be as accessible and inclusive as possible. LOCOG's approach has been to adopt accessible solutions throughout, which minimises the need for any transition in athletes' facilities from an 'Olympic' to a 'Paralympic' mode. LOCOG works closely with the International Paralympic Committee which visits London every six months to run through all the plans in detail, including venues, accommodation and transport. In addition, LOCOG has its own Athletes' Committee to ensure athletes' interests are represented.
	LOCOG's ambition is for disabled spectators to have a great games experience equivalent to non-disabled people. They have involved communities of disabled people as it has developed tailored services and products, and appointed an Accessibility Manager to lead on this area. Accessibility initiatives can be found on the London 2012 website at the following link:
	http://www.london2012.com/accessibility

Paralympic Games 2012

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the potential effects of the London 2012 Paralympics on the participation of disabled people in sport; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: I have asked Sport England to ensure that increasing disability participation is a key part of both the Places, People, Play legacy programme and in the development of their over-arching plan for the new strategy period of 2011-15. Through the School Games there will be increased opportunities for disabled pupils to compete on a local, regional and national level.

Paralympic Games 2012: Tourism

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics on the tourism industry in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: Responsibility for tourism policy in Wales lies with the Welsh Government, they are working closely with VisitWales and VisitBritain to maximise the opportunities provided by London 2012. Through VisitBritain, DCMS has established a new £100 million overseas tourism marketing campaign which is aiming to deliver an additional 4 million visitors to the UK and £2 billion extra expenditure over the next four years. The whole of the UK will benefit from the campaign, including Wales.

PPL

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will introduce legislative proposals to remove the right of Phonographic Performance Ltd to charge fees for licences for the broadcast of music over the radio in offices not open to members of the public.

Edward Davey: I have been asked to reply.
	These licensing issues are within the remit of the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable). The UK is obliged under European and international level copyright law to give copyright holders the right to collect licence fees for public performance of their copyright works. Case law in the UK indicates that public performance includes performance in public spaces, including offices. The Government have no plans to alter this through legislation.

Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of contracts issued by (a) his Department and (b) agencies for which he is responsible were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises in (i) Scotland, (ii) South Lanarkshire and (iii) Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Penrose: During the financial year 2010-11, the Department for Culture Media and Sport did not award any contracts to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Scotland over this accounting period. It does however have two ongoing contracts with SMEs in Scotland from the Glasgow area which were awarded at an earlier date.
	The Departments agency, The Royal Parks, has not awarded any contracts to SME's during the financial year 2010-11.

Sport England

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what financial assistance Sport England has provided to community sports clubs and projects in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency since 2010.

Hugh Robertson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 9 March 2011, Official Report, column 1088W.

Television: Alcoholic Drinks

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether guidance issued to broadcasters by Ofcom prohibits provision of alcohol to participants aged under 18 years in programmes filmed for television.

Edward Vaizey: The matter raised is an operational one for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, my officials spoke to Ofcom, who advised:
	Ofcom does not issue specific guidance to broadcasters on this issue. However, under Ofcom's Broadcasting Code due care must be taken over the physical and emotional welfare and the dignity of people under 18 who take part or are otherwise involved in programmes. This is irrespective of any consent given by the participant or by a parent, guardian or other person over the age of 18 in loco parentis. As well as this, programmes must not include material (whether in individual programmes or in programmes taken together) which, taking into account the context, condones or glamorises violent, dangerous or seriously antisocial behaviour and is likely to encourage others to copy such behaviour.

Tourism: Yorkshire and the Humber

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department allocated to the promotion of tourism in (a) Yorkshire and the Humber and (b) England in 2010-11.

John Penrose: The Department sponsors VisitBritain, which is charged with promoting Britain overseas, and VisitEngland, which is responsible for promoting England within the UK and to selected overseas markets. Total grant in aid in 2010-11 was £38.92 million, with £2937 million allocated to VisitBritain and £9.55 million allocated to VisitEngland. Funding is not apportioned by VisitBritain on a national or regional basis and it is not possible to disaggregate a specific England spend. Funding is not apportioned by VisitEngland on a regional or area-specific basis and it is not possible to disaggregate a specific Yorkshire and Humber spend, but the area is an important asset in the overall England offer and receives significant coverage in VisitEngland's marketing campaigns.

JUSTICE

Approved Premises

Richard Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what process he has set for designating a bail hostel as an approved premises.

Crispin Blunt: Under section 13 of the Offender Management Act 2007, any premises can be approved for the provision of accommodation for people granted bail in criminal proceedings, or for or in connection with the supervision or rehabilitation of offenders. An application for planning permission would be needed as well.
	No new Approved Premises have been developed since the commencement of the Offender Management Act 2007. A new detailed Specification and Manual for Approved Premises services have been issued this year and will form the basis for the commissioning of any new Approved Premises in future. The Specification codifies existing instructions and practice; it also covers security, public protection, risk management, and interventions and purposeful activity. A process for approving any new premises in accordance with the Specification will be developed to support the introduction of commissioning.

Conditions of Employment

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with (a) officials in his Department, (b) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and (c) outside organisations on the potential effects of changes arising from the review of employment law on matters within his Department's responsibilities.

Jonathan Djanogly: The review of employment-related laws being co-ordinated by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is a cross-Government initiative.
	All Departments with a responsibility for employment-related law are engaged in the process, and relevant Ministers and officials are in contact with BIS on a regular basis in taking forward the review.
	The Ministry of Justice does not have responsibility for employment-related legislation. However, given our responsibility for administering employment tribunals, and the wider courts system, we have been consulted throughout on the proposals for the review. In particular, we have worked closely with BIS on proposals contained in the Resolving Workplace Disputes consultation, which was a joint exercise with my Department.

Coroners: Reform

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which officials in his Department are involved in the reform of the coroner system.

Jonathan Djanogly: Officials within the Ministry's Coroner Change Team are responsible for the implementation of reform of the coroner system. Officials working in other areas of policy that are impacted by coroner reform may also be involved from time to time.

Courts

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress he has made in plans to handle in Stevenage county court cases originating with parties resident in North East Hertfordshire constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Government undertook a full consultation exercise last year on their proposals to close a number of court houses, including Hitchin county court. As a result of the responses to the consultation exercise funding has been allocated and invested to upgrade an existing courtroom in Stevenage magistrates court to make it suitable for county court work. Following the closure of Hitchin its work will be shared between Bedford, Luton, Cambridge and Stevenage. It is expected that cases such as repossession will typically be heard in Stevenage, sitting as Luton county court, thereby improving the service provided to court users.
	The Lord Chancellor's Direction which sets out how Hitchin county court's district will be divided among other county courts can be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/bills-and-acts/directions.htm

Courts: Fines

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what proportion of financial penalties issued by the courts were collected in each year since 1995;
	(2)  how many fines were issued by the courts in each year since 1995; and what the monetary value of such fines was in each such year.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information requested on the proportion of financial penalties collected is available from centrally held information since 2003-04. This includes monetary value of fines paid and the amount owed, which is set out in the following table.
	Prior to 2003-04, different local methods of collecting data for the magistrates courts existed across England and Wales. These data are therefore not directly comparable to those given in the table. For this reason, the table shows the figures from 2003-04 only.
	
		
			 Enforcement of financial penalties 2003-04 to 2010-11 
			 Financial year New   amount owed  (1)   (£) Paid  (2)   (£) Payment   rate  (3)   (%) Payment rate excludi  ng administrative cancellations  (4)   (%) 
			 2003-04 366,653,329.16 212,785,348.05 74 — 
			 2004-05 351,746,801.62 221,505,558.19 80 — 
			 2005-06 368,923,934.48 233,332,326.01 83 81 
			 2006-07 364,298,841.54 244,555,539.82 92 80 
			 2007- 08 376,569,882.06 256,117,662.65 95 82 
			 2008- 09 393,121,638.79 246,519,704.18 85 71 
			 2009-10 406,660,591.18 259,241,082.01 86 74 
			 2010(5) 312,719,840.11 213,916,998.74 92 80 
			 (1) New amount owed is the sum of amounts imposed in the courts plus net transferred amounts (2) The amount paid is monies received by the courts against any outstanding fine irrespective of age and will not necessarily be for fine amounts imposed in the same period. (3) The payment rate is calculated by dividing the amount paid to HMCTS over a financial year by the new amount owed less the value of fines legally and net administratively cancelled for the same period. (4) The payment rate excluding administratively cancelled is only available from 2005 only. Prior to that the data are not comparable due to changes in the way the payment rate was calculated. The payment rate excluding administratively cancelled is calculated by dividing the amount paid to HMCTS over a financial year by the new amount owed less the value of fines legally cancelled for the same period. (5) April to December only. Notes: 1. Financial penalties include amounts for fines, costs, prosecution costs, legal aid, victim surcharge, and compensation, unpaid fixed penalties, penalty notices for disorder that are transferred to HMCTS for enforcement. 2. Statistics on the amount paid are published by the Ministry of Justice in the statistical bulletins ‘Court Statistics Quarterly’ and ‘Judicial and Court Statistics’. The most recent published data relate to Q4 (October to December) 2010 and were published in Court Statistics Quarterly in March. The figures for Q1 (January to March) 2011 statistics will be published in Court Statistics Quarterly and revised statistics for 2010 (which are currently provisional) will be published on the 30 June 2011. Source: HMCTS Performance Database as at 14 June 2011 
		
	
	The information on fines issued, for criminal cases, form part of sentencing information published by the Ministry of Justice in ‘Criminal Justice Statistics’, covering England and Wales. Information available on fines issued for the period 1995 to 2010 (latest available) is as follows:
	
		
			  Total number of fines imposed Fines imposed in magistrates courts Fines imposed in the Crown court Proportion of all sentences (all courts) (%) 
			 1995 996,715 992,788 3,927 74 
			 1996 1,073,024 1,069,674 3,350 75 
			 1997 998,672 995,328 3,344 72 
		
	
	
		
			 1998 1,060,743 1,057,490 3,253 72 
			 1999 992,420 989,713 2,707 70 
			 2000 1,013,347 1,010,835 2,512 71 
			 2001 930,121 927,571 2,550 69 
			 2002 972,737 970,384 2,353 69 
			 2003 1,033,617 1,030,918 2,699 69 
			 2004 1,082,690 1,080,236 2,454 70 
			 2005 1,025,064 1,022,710 2,354 69 
			 2006 961,535 959,394 2,141 68 
			 2007 941,534 939,046 2,488 67 
			 2008(1) 890,296 887,976 2,320 65 
			 2009(2) 946,146 943,844 2,302 67 
			 2010 893,931 891,420 2,511 65 
			 (1) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July, and August 2008. (2) Amendments made due to the late receipt of a small number of court records . Notes: 1. These data are presented on the principal offence basis. Where an offender has been sentenced for more than one offence the principal offence is the one for which the heaviest sentence was imposed. Where the same sentence has been imposed for two or more offences the principal offence is the one for which the statutory maximum is most severe. 2. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. Source: These data have been taken from the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings database.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what regulations his Department introduced between 1 March 2011 and 31 May 2011; and what the estimated costs of implementation were for those affected in each case;
	(2)  what the name is of each regulatory measure revoked by his Department between 1 March and 31 May 2011; and what estimate he has made of the potential annual saving to those affected by each revocation.

Jonathan Djanogly: Between 1 March and 31 May 2011, the Ministry of Justice has neither made nor revoked statutory instruments which have regulatory impact.

Drugs: Sentencing

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people received a custodial sentence for drugs offences in each of the last five years; and what proportion of the prison population this represents.

Crispin Blunt: Defendants sentenced to immediate custody for drug offences, England and Wales, 2006 to 2010, from the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings database, can be seen in table 1.
	Population in prison under immediate custodial sentence and proportion serving a sentence for drug offences as at 30 June, England and Wales, 2006-10 from the Ministry of Justice Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Brief publication, can be seen in table 2.
	It is not possible to link defendants sentenced from the court proceedings database to those from the prison population database.
	
		
			 Table 1: Defendants sentenced to immediate custody for drugs offences, England and Wales, 2006-10  (1,2) 
			  2006 2007 2008  (3) 2009 2010 
			 Drug offences 7,532 8,186 9,488 9,426 9,693 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Population in prison under immediate custodial sentence and proportion serving a sentence for drugs offences as at 30 June, England and Wales, 2006-10 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2009  (1) 2010 
			 Drug offences 10,647 10,613 10,982 10,696 10,420 11,064 
			 Total population 63,404 65,533 68.124 68.375 68.461 70,871 
			 Proportion (%) 16.79 16.19 16.12 15.64 15.22 15.61 
			 (1) Due to the introduction of a new prison IT system the 2010 prison population data is taken from a different source. The 2009 figures from both the old and new system have been presented to aid comparison Note: These figures have been drawn from large administrative data systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

EU Law

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what European directives in force on 1 April 2010 his Department is responsible; and what European directives for which his Department is responsible have come into force since 1 April 2010.

Kenneth Clarke: The following European directives, for which the Ministry of Justice is responsible, were in force on 1 April 2010:
	Council Directive 77/249/EEC of 22 March 1977 to facilitate the effective exercise by lawyers of freedom to provide services.
	Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data.
	Directive 98/5/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 1998 to facilitate practice of the profession of lawyer on a permanent basis in a Member State other than that in which the qualification was obtained.
	Council Directive 2002/8/EC of 27 January 2003 to improve access to justice in cross-border disputes by establishing minimum common rules relating to legal aid for such disputes.
	Council Directive 2004/80/EC of 29 April 2004 relating to compensation to crime victims.
	Directive 2008/52/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on certain aspects of mediation in civil and commercial matters.
	One European directive, for which the Ministry of Justice has responsibility, has entered into force since 1 April 2010. That is:
	Directive 2010/64/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2010 on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings.

Human Trafficking: Prosecutions

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions of members of criminal gangs involved in (a) trafficking and (b) smuggling illegal immigrants into the UK took place in each of the last five years; and what the nationalities of the individuals were in each case.

Crispin Blunt: Data held centrally on the court proceedings database do not include information about the circumstances behind each case, other than that which may be identified from a statute. It is therefore not possible to identify offences where the accused was a member of a criminal gang or identify a defendant's nationality.

Injunctions: Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Northern Ireland Executive on super-injunctions.

Jonathan Djanogly: No discussions have taken place with representatives of the Northern Ireland Executive on this issue.

Insurance: Fees and Charges

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received on the payment of referral fees by lawyers and insurance companies to obtain the names and contact details of those involved in accidents; and what representations he has received on the potential effects of such practices on the overall cost of insurance claims.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Department has received a number of representations on the payment of referral fees in personal injury cases. The Transport Select Committee and the Legal Services Board have, separately, called for a more transparent regime around referral fees. The Association of British Insurers, among others, has urged the Government to ban referral fees.

Legal Aid

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many acts of assistance were funded by the Legal Services Commission in respect of solicitors in North East Hertfordshire constituency in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is responsible for administering the legal aid scheme in England and Wales. One individual may receive a number of separate acts of assistance, and one act of assistance can help more than one person.
	The following table shows the numbers of acts of assistance delivered by legal aid providers with postcodes falling within North East Hertfordshire. All acts of assistance are based on the solicitor's location, which may not reflect where the client is based. The data are only available by financial and not calendar year.
	
		
			 North East Hertfordshire constituency 
			  Crime lower claims Legal help new matter starts Civil   rep. certificates issues Crime higher cases 
			 2008-09 733 216 154 90 
			 2009-10 809 273 136 65

Legal Aid: Essex

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many legal aid matter starts in (a) social welfare law, (b) family law and (c) clinical negligence there were in (i) Harlow constituency and (ii) the west Essex procurement area in the latest period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures following implementation of his proposals for the reform of legal aid in England and Wales.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is responsible for administering the legal aid scheme in England and Wales. The following table shows the numbers of acts of assistance delivered by legal aid providers with postcodes falling within the Harlow constituency in the last three years. Further breakdown by category of law per constituency is not available. All acts of assistance are based on the solicitor's location, which may not reflect where the client is based.
	The LSC is currently collating data relating to procurement areas, which will include west Essex. I will write to the hon. Member once the information has been verified and place a copy in the Library of the House.
	
		
			 Harlow constituency 
			  Crime lower claims Legal help new matter starts Civil rep. certificates issues Crime higher cases 
			 2007-08 3,194 1,403 224 358 
			 2008-09 2,366 1,839 259 240 
			 2009-10 2,417 1,943 377 255 
		
	
	Initial impact assessments were published alongside the legal aid reforms consultation paper in November 2010 and updated versions will be published alongside the Government's response.

Legal Aid: Expenditure

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the net cost to his Department was of civil legal aid after income recouped from statutory charges and recovery of any funds on account in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what change in real terms there has been in his Department's funding for civil legal aid in the last 10 years.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information requested is given in the following table, which shows the real terms net cost of civil legal aid over the last 10 years at 2009-10 prices.
	
		
			 Civil legal aid 
			  £ million cash  (1) 
			 2000-01 998 
			 2001-02 906 
			 2002-03 972 
			 2003-04 1,044 
			 2004-05 957 
			 2005-06 923 
			 2006-07 870 
			 2007-08 882 
			 2008-09 930 
			 2009-10 942 
			 (1) At 2009-10 prices.

Legal Aid: Iraq

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what legal aid funding has been provided to Iraqi citizens for cases relating to alleged abuse by the UK armed forces in each of the last three years.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Legal Services Commission (LSC) do not record the nationality of claimants, and so cannot provide comprehensive costs incurred on these cases. Nor are cases specifically recorded or traceable as ‘abuse by the UK armed forces’.

Legal Complaints Service

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints originally made to the Legal Complaints Service are awaiting resolution; and how many staff of the Legal Ombudsman Services have been allocated to work on complaints which were made before the abolition of the Legal Complaints Service.

Jonathan Djanogly: The latest statistics from the Legal Services Ombudsman show that there 365 cases awaiting resolution. Of these approximately 80% relate to complaints that have been referred to the Legal Services Ombudsman following a determination by the Law Society's Legal Complaints Service.
	15.5 (full-time equivalent) members of staff from the Office for Legal Complaints have been seconded to the office of the Legal Services Ombudsman to complete complaint cases during the closure of this latter function.

Mental Health Secure Units

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions mental health secure units have requested permission from his Department to hold unescorted visits for patients in the latest period for which figures are available; and on how many such occasions the request was (a) accepted and (b) rejected.

Crispin Blunt: The Public Protection and Mental Health Group (PPMHG) in the National Offender Management Service received 1,765 requests for unescorted community leave, for restricted patients, between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2010. Of those, PPMHG, on behalf of the Secretary of State, authorised leave in 1,581, with the remaining 184 being refused. Any decision to allow a restricted patient leave into the community is taken only after a full risk assessment based on up to date medical evidence.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Offences Against Children

Richard Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what process was used to impose a Ministerial restriction on admissions to Bunbury House in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire that excludes the residence of offenders who have committed any sexual offence against a child under 16 years of age.

Crispin Blunt: In response to public concern about the proximity of some Approved Premises to schools, Ministers decided in 2006 that child sex offenders should be excluded from Approved Premises which are directly adjacent to a school or a nursery. The exclusion applies to those offenders who have committed sex offences against children under 16 and includes offenders convicted of child-related internet offences.
	Bunbury House is directly adjacent to a primary school and, therefore, the ministerial decision in 2006 confirmed a pre-existing local policy to exclude child sex offenders there.

Offences Against Children

Richard Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's policy is on assessing whether offenders who have committed a sexual offence against a child who is under 16 years of age may be excluded from admission to an approved premises.

Crispin Blunt: The decision to admit any offender to a particular Approved Premises is based upon an individual assessment of the risk of serious harm posed by the offender to the public, to any previous victim(s) and to other residents or staff. The decision will also include an assessment on whether the offender's risk of harm may be more effectively managed in an Approved Premises than in alternative accommodation in the community, having regard to the specific risk management measures which an Approved Premises provides.

Offences Against Children

Richard Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to review the guidelines that govern the placing of sexual offenders in approved premises in respect of the proximity of a given approved premises to a nursery, primary or secondary school.

Crispin Blunt: There is no evidence to suggest that the proximity of Approved Premises to schools or other children's facilities increases the likelihood of further sexual offences being committed against the children in those schools and facilities. There are, therefore, no plans to extend the criteria by which child sex offenders are excluded from Approved Premises. The placement of individual offenders to a particular Approved Premises will continue to be decided on the individual circumstances of each case.
	Approved Premises provide the most effective means to manage certain high risk of harm offenders in the community, particularly during the critical period of release from custody. All are equipped to provide a range of controls and offender management measures not available in other community facilities; these include curfew, 24 hour staffing, CCTV, monitoring of residents' movements and behaviour, room searching and drug testing. Many of the offenders supervised in Approved Premises are managed within the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements. There are robust enforcement arrangements in place, including immediate recall to prison where residents are in breach of their licence conditions or the rules of residence.

Prisoners' Release

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what guidance his Department provides on the diversity issues to be considered when setting licence conditions;
	(2)  on how many occasions (a) curfews and (b) other licence conditions have been amended in order to aid compliance among offenders on licence in each of the last three years;
	(3)  on how many occasions breaches in licence conditions (a) have and (b) have not led to a recall to prison in each of the last three years.

Crispin Blunt: The information is as follows:
	(1) The Probation Instruction 07/2011 provides probation staff with guidance on what to include on a licence.
	The Instruction can be located on:
	www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/guidance/prison-probation-and-rehabilitation/psipso/pi_07-2011_licence_conditions_final.doc
	The overriding aims of licence conditions are to protect the public, prevent re-offending and secure the successful re-integration of the offender into the community.
	There are standard conditions to which any offender on licence is subject. Any additional conditions placed on an offender's licence must be necessary to manage the level of risk in the community and proportionate in that there is no less intrusive method of addressing that particular risk.
	There is no specific guidance in respect of diversity issues, but offender managers and prison governors are expected to take into account all relevant issues, including any relevant diversity considerations. All prison and probation instructions are reviewed by the National Offender Management Service Race and Equality Action Group, prior to publication, which ensures that diversity issues are properly considered.
	(2) Many additional licence conditions, including those that require an offender to comply with a curfew, are worded in such a way that they can be amended or adapted at the discretion of an offender manager. The reasons for amending a condition locally can vary, for example, gradually reducing a curfew in response to appropriate compliance as an offender approaches the end of the sentence, or adjusting requirements to address offending behaviour according to the availability and suitability of offending behaviour programmes.
	Information on the number of occasions on which offender managers have varied or amended an offender's licence condition is not held centrally; to obtain such information would involve a manual exercise of looking at individual records and as such, would incur disproportionate cost.
	In addition, offender managers may seek to have licence conditions varied by requesting that additional conditions are inserted or removed. Requests for seeking additional conditions or the removal of conditions are normally based on the fact that an offender's circumstances have changed since being released or new areas of risk have been identified and need to be appropriately managed.
	The variation of licence conditions is undertaken either by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) on behalf of the Secretary of State or, where the Parole Board is responsible for determining licence conditions, the request for licence variation is referred to the Parole Board.
	NOMS does not hold centrally data on the number of requests it receives for licence variation. To provide this information would involve a manual exercise looking at individual case records and this would incur disproportionate cost.
	In January this year, the Parole Board introduced a report enabling it to extract data on the number of requests it receives to vary licence conditions. Between January and May it received 370 such requests. The Parole Board does not hold comprehensive data before this point.
	(3) The number of offenders on licence and who have been recalled to prison for breaching their licence conditions for the period April 2007 until December 2010 is:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2007-08 13,252 
			 2008-09 13,467 
		
	
	
		
			 2009-10 15,004 
			 2010 (April-December) (1)11,705 
			 (1) The data for the whole of 2010-11 will be published on 28 July 2011 
		
	
	This information was published in the Ministry of Justice Quarterly Publication on licence recalls and returns to custody:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/prisons-and-probation/licence-recalls-and-returns-to-custody.htm
	Information on the number of occasions offenders have breached their licence conditions and have not resulted in recall is not held centrally. To provide such information would incur disproportionate cost.

Prisoners' Release

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of times police forces have not been informed of the release of an offender from prison in each of the last three years.

Crispin Blunt: There are no central records held for the number of times police forces have not been informed of the release of an offender from prison.
	There are however a number of mechanisms through which police forces are informed of the release of offenders from prison.
	Systems are in place to share release data of all prisoners with all police forces on a daily basis. Prisoner details remain on the list until such time as the prisoner is released.
	Specific arrangements are in place for more serious and persistent offenders, which will include release data on:
	1. Prisoners subject to Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) levels 2 and 3; and
	2. Prolific and Priority Offenders (PPO).

Prisoners: Sexual Offences

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has recorded any incidents in which (a) offenders and (b) offenders convicted of sexual offences have had contact with children in prisons.

Crispin Blunt: Information about contact with children by offenders in prison, including sexual offenders, is held locally at each prison and is not collated centrally.
	However, offenders in prison with a charge or conviction of an offence against a child, or who are considered a risk to children, will not be granted permission for contact with any child by the prison governor or his representative unless it is assessed that they do not pose a risk to the child and it is also in the best interest of the child.

Prisoners: Thanet

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) offenders in prison who gave residential addresses in North and South Thanet and (b) ex-offenders resettled at addresses in North and South Thanet there were in the latest period for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: Information on a prisoner's residence is provided by prisoners on reception into prison and recorded on a central IT system. Addresses include a prisoner's home address, an address to which they intend to return on discharge and next of kin
	As at 27 May 2011 there were 186 prisoners in England and Wales who had a centrally recorded address in the North and South Thanet constituencies. This figure includes male and female prisoners, adults, young offenders and juveniles and those who are sentenced and on remand.
	Information of ex-offenders resettled in North and South Thanet could be obtained only at disproportionate cost as it would involve contacting every probation trust who would then have to consult individual offender records.
	Data on the prison population are drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisons: Televisions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will increase the rental charge for in-cell televisions in prisons.

Crispin Blunt: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to her on 14 June 2011, Official Report, column 691.

Public Order Offences

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many (a) males and (b) females aged (i) 10 to 12, (ii) 13 to 15, (iii) 16 to 17, (iv) 18 to 24, (v) 25 to 30, (vi) 31 to 40 and (vii) 40 and over were (A) prosecuted, (B) given a fixed penalty and (C) convicted of an offence under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 in each police force area in each of the last five years for which information is available;
	(2)  what the maximum (a) fine and (b) fixed penalty was for an offence under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 in each year since enactment.

Crispin Blunt: The following tables have been placed in the House Library:
	Number of males and females by age group who were proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 by police force area, England and Wales, 2006 to 2010.
	Offenders issued with a reprimand, warning, or caution for offences under Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 by gender, age group and police force area, England and Wales, 2006 to 2010.
	Penalty notices for disorder issued to males, and females, by age group, for the offence of causing harassment, alarm or distress, in England and Wales 2006 to 2010.
	The maximum fine amount for offences under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986(1) in England and Wales 1987 to 2010.
	The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 allows a police officer to issue a penalty notice for disorder (PND) for the fixed amount of £80 for the offence of ‘Using words, conduct likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress’ under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986. PND's were made available to all 43 police forces in England and Wales from April 2004.
	Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in spring 2012.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average waiting time between submission of an appeal against a decision on the award of (a) employment and support allowance and (b) disability living allowance and the date of the appeal hearing was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: The following table shows the average time taken from submission of an appeal to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) until the date of the first appeal hearing at Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) for employment and support allowance and disability living allowance appeals.
	The information covers April 2011, the latest period for which figures are available.
	
		
			  Average time in weeks from submission to DWP to receipt at HMCTS  (1) Average time in weeks from receipt at HMCTS to first hearing 
			 Employment and support allowance 8.21 23.01 
			 Disability living allowance 6.88 24.37 
			 (1) The data regarding the time from when an appeal is submitted to the DWP until it is received by HMCTS is taken from HMCTS’ database and relies on the date of submission provided by DWP. The tribunal does not measure the time from receipt at DWP to receipt at HMCTS and the averages have been calculated by subtracting the time from receipt at HMCTS to first hearing from the total average time. 
		
	
	Waiting times for a hearing result from an unexpectedly high levels of appeals. In response, HMCTS has significantly increased its capacity and, nationally, published management information shows that 38% more SSCS appeals were cleared in April 2011 compared to April 2010 (and 65% when compared with April 2009). Further capacity increases are in hand.

Victims and Witnesses General Fund

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criteria were used to determine the outcome of applications to the Victims and Witnesses General Fund, 2011 to 2014.

Crispin Blunt: Applications to the Victim and Witness General Fund were assessed against the following four criteria.
	First, the applicant had to demonstrate that its proposal focused on delivering, or increasing the capacity to deliver, frontline services to the most serious, vulnerable and persistently targeted victims.
	Second, the applicant had to demonstrate that it would provide a high quality service with positive outcomes for service users.
	Third, the applicant's proposal had to have detailed, realistic and justifiable costings and mechanisms for monitoring performance.
	Fourth, there had to be clear potential to build capacity and sustainability.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Asbestos

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions at which engagements he has discussed the classification of asbestos and related matters since his appointment.

Chris Grayling: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has not discussed the classification of asbestos and related matters at any engagements since his appointment.
	However, the Secretary of State has held meetings on health and safety issues during which the classification of asbestos has been discussed.

Asbestos

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received on (a) legislation relating to (i) the regulation of and (ii) the classification of white asbestos since his appointment.

Chris Grayling: Since May 2010, the Department for Work and Pensions has received representations from Asbestos Watchdog regarding the legislation relating to, and the classification of, white asbestos.

Asbestos

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  on what grounds he commissioned a report into the evidence on the present classification of asbestos;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on Sir John Beddington's review of the classification of asbestos.

Chris Grayling: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions asked Sir John Beddington, as the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, for his view on whether there was any evidence that would justify a change to the international classification of asbestos following representations from Asbestos Watchdog and a number of parliamentary questions, in autumn 2010, regarding white asbestos and asbestos cement products.
	No spending was undertaken by the Department for Work and Pensions in relation to Sir John Beddington's work.

Atos Healthcare: Contracts

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the value is of his Department's contract awarded to Atos Healthcare in respect of the carrying out of medical assessments for benefits.

Chris Grayling: The value of the contract is approximately £100 million per annum over 10 years, and is subject to demand for the services. The scope of the services includes medical assessment, medical advice, IT support infrastructure and maintenance of facilities.

Atos Healthcare: Contracts

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many medical assessments for benefits were carried out by Atos Healthcare in 2010.

Chris Grayling: Atos Healthcare carried out 707,832 medical assessments between January 2010 to December 2010. The following table breaks this down by benefit type:
	
		
			 Benefit type Number of assessments  (1) 
			 Employment Support Allowance (ESA) 470,265 
			 Incapacity Benefit (IB) 128,175 
			 Disability Living Allowance (DLA) 45,155 
			 Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) 57,865 
			 Appeals 4,431 
			 Other Business Units(2) 1,941 
			 Total 707,832 
			 (1) The above information was collated from Management Information provide by Atos Healthcare's Medical Services Information Team (MSIT). (2) Other Business Units includes medical assessments includes those for Veterans Agency.

Departmental Manpower

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many officials at each grade his Department (a) employed in 2000, (b) employed in 2005, (c) employs and (d) plans to employ in each year of the comprehensive spending review period at its offices at (i) Norcross, (ii) Warbreck House and (iii) Peel Park.

Chris Grayling: The number of individual employees, in each grade, employed at Norcross, Peel Park, and Warbreck House are in the following tables.
	The current figures are as at the end of March 2011 this being the date of the latest Public Sector Employment Statistics published by Office for National Statistics.
	
		
			 March 2002 
			 Site Band A  AA- Band B  AO Band C  EO Band D  HEO Band E  SEO Band F  G7 Band G  G6 SCS Total 
			 Norcross 460 780 711 226 112 37 9 3 2,338 
			 Peel Park 7 32 52 63 51 19 12 3 239 
			 Warbreck House 656 1,265 559 43 11 2 2 1 2,539 
			 Total 1,123 2,077 1,322 332 174 58 23 7 5,116 
		
	
	
		
			 March 2005 
			 Site Band A  AA Band B  AO Band C  EO Band D  HEO Band E  SEO Band F  G7 Band G  G6 SCS Total 
			 Norcross 261 682 655 303 144 57 19 6 2,127 
			 Peel Park 7 43 81 86 58 27 18 4 324 
			 Warbreck House 466 1,313 684 60 12 4 0 1 2,540 
			 Total 734 2,038 1,420 449 214 88 37 11 4,991 
		
	
	
		
			 March 2011 
			 Site Band A  AA Band B  AO Band C  EO Band D  HEO Band E  SEO Band F  G7 Band G  G6 SCS Total 
			 Norcross 31 260 429 352 196 99 43 11 1,423 
			 Peel Park 3 61 197 174 108 90 41 10 684 
			 Warbreck House 348 1,186 844 84 19 4 7 1 2,493 
			 Total 382 1,507 1,470 610 323 193 91 22 4,600 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are staff in post i.e. individuals. 2. DWP formed in 2001—earliest available figures for these offices is March 2002. 3. March 2011 total does not sum—two cases where grade information not recorded at time of extraction. 
		
	
	The spending review settlement will result in the Department's core budget being reduced by 26% by 2014-15, with corporate overheads reduced by 40%. These reductions will be from a 1 April 2011 baseline. Not all this reduction will necessarily be achieved through headcount reductions.
	Where we do need to reduce jobs we will do this through normal turnover where possible. If people become surplus we will seek to redeploy them within DWP or the wider civil service.
	Work force plans for these sites are not yet available. It is too early to say what the impact on these offices will be, until detailed business planning is completed and the Departmental Corporate Centre Transformation Project is complete later this financial year.

Departmental Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress his Department has made in encouraging small businesses to bid for Government contracts.

Chris Grayling: DWP's Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Action Plan has been published and is available on 'Supplying DWP' pages of the DWP website.
	The engagement of SMEs is covered in commercial documents, tools and training for staff.
	One of these tools is the Sustainable Procurement Risk Assessment Methodology (SPRAM), used by commercial staff to identify social, economic and environmental risks and opportunities in procurements including opportunities for SMEs.
	DWP use the Contracts Finder portal to advertise new opportunities and where appropriate, flag those which may be suitable for SMEs. DWP's Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) document has been revised and the mandatory core questions (developed by Cabinet Office) adopted. This ensures consistency with other Government Departments and helps to streamline the pre qualification process for SMEs.
	Commercial teams are encouraged to talk to first tier suppliers about how SMEs can potentially (where appropriate) play a part in their supply chains. The package of SME measures has been shared with DWP arm’s length bodies and they have been encouraged to also implement the measures.
	During the procurement for the Work programme, prime providers were actively encouraged to engage SMEs when setting up their supply chains. All Work programme contracts also contain a contract performance condition that requires prime providers to report (on an annual basis), the number of SMEs they currently engage in their supply chains. This will be monitored and discussed as part of contract performance reviews.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what strategic framework his Department has developed for the delivery of its core functions during the comprehensive spending review period.

Chris Grayling: The Departmental Business Plan sets out DWP's high level strategic objectives and how we intend to deliver them over the comprehensive spending review period. The plan is regularly refreshed and published here:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dwp-business-plan-may-2011.pdf
	We also have a one-year business plan which provides more detail on the high level strategic objectives and is published here:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dwp-delivery-plan-2011-2012.pdf
	Progress towards delivery is published on the Department's website through a monthly update on structural reform and, from July 2011, a Quarterly Data Summary.
	In addition, the Government plan to introduce a universal credit which will fundamentally reform the delivery of much of DWP's core services, The Department is working with colleagues across Whitehall, and with local government, to develop in detail how best to achieve this. This will include designing an operating model that will set the strategic framework to successfully deliver those core services.

Departmental Responsibilities

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the name is of each cross-departmental working group in which officials in his Department have participated (a) since May 2010 and (b) in the last three years;
	(2)  what the name is of each working group his Department has established (a) since May 2010 and (b) in the last three years.

Chris Grayling: The requested information on the name of each working group and each cross-departmental working group is not held centrally as they can be set up by either the Minister or officials. The scope of these working groups and the length of time they are in place can also vary significantly depending on the terms of reference.

Departmental Telephone Services

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average cost to benefit claimants of using 0845 numbers to contact his Department and its agencies in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) uses both 0800 and 0845 telephone numbers. DWP uses 0845 telephone numbers for calls that are typically short, for example when making an inquiry about benefits.
	The Department is undertaking an internal review as to its use of 0845 numbers.
	The Department provides “Customer Access Phones” (CAP) in a large number of our Jobcentre Plus offices where customers can make or inquire about benefit claims and they do not have to pay when using these facilities. The Department also encourages its customers to use online facilities as an alternative to calling its 0800 and 0845 services. Where a customer calling our 0800 or 0845 services asks us, or raises concerns over the cost of the call, we will offer to call them back.
	It is difficult to gauge how much the average cost to access our 0845 services will be, as some customers may not pay anything to access our services throughout their claim. There is no way of identifying which of our customers pay to use our services and customers will be charged at different rates, depending on their landline or mobile operator.
	At appendix 1 is the average speed of answer and average call duration figures, which will show how long customers were on the telephone. The costs shown are basic BT call prices, but a full list of telephone provider call charges have also been provided as follows:
	
		
			 Appendix 1: Jobcentre Plus 
			  Average speed of answer Average call duration Total   c  all time Cost at 4p per min plus set up cost of 3p (£) 
			 JSA Inquires 00:02:15 00:03:34 05:49 0.26 
			 IS Inquires 00:01:36 00:03:05 04:41 0.22 
			 IB Inquires 00:00:48 00:02:59 03:47 0.18 
			 JSA, IS and IB Welsh 00:00:02 00:03:02 03:04 0.15 
			 ESA Inquiries 00:02:42 00:04:00 06:42 0.30 
			 IB/IS Reassessment 00:00:54 00:04:24 05:18 0.24 
			 ESA Inquiries and IB/IS Reassessment Welsh 00:00:02 00:03:13 03:15 0.16 
			 Inquire 00:01:17 00:04:25 05:42 0.26 
			 Social Fund 00:01:45 00:02:33 04:18 0.20 
		
	
	In addition to these calls to Jobcentre Plus, calls to a customer's local jobcentre are handled via our outsourced provider, Balfour Beatty Workplace using 0845 numbers. Limitations with the telephony system used mean that they are unable to provide the average cost to customers of making these calls.
	
		
			 Pensions Disability and Carers Service 
			  Average speed of answer Average call duration Total call time Cost at 4p per min plus set up cost of 3p (£) 
			 International Pension Centre 00:00:46 00:05:03 05:49 0.26 
		
	
	
		
			 Future Pension Centre 00:00:09 00:04:56 05:05 0.23 
			 Pension Tracing Service 00:00:05 00:03:01 03:06 0.15 
			 General Inquiry Line 00:00:45 00:05:32 06:17 0.28 
			 National Pension Centre (Pensions Direct) 00:00:36 00:04:00 04:36 0.21 
			 Note  : Call duration times for the Carers Allowance Unit Contact Centre and Disability Living Allowance/Attendance Allowance Helpline are not available because these units do not record this information. We can, however, provide the Average Call Handling Time. Source: Department for Work and Pensions Operational Management Information System (OPMIS) 
		
	
	The full list of telephone provider call charges has been placed in the Library.

Employment Schemes: Public Expenditure

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department expects to spend on the Work programme in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Chris Grayling: Work programme spend will depend on performance as payments to providers are primarily for results. We expect total spend of between £3 billion and £5 billion over the life of contracts.

EU Law

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what European directives in force on 1 April 2010 his Department is responsible; and what European directives for which his Department is responsible have come into force since 1 April 2010.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions is currently responsible for the transposition of the following directives:
	2010/41/EU (dated 7 July 2010). This directive deals with the application of. the principle of equal treatment between men and women engaged in an activity in a self employed capacity and repeals council directive 86/613/EEC.
	2009/161/EU (dated 17 December 2009). This health and safety directive establishes a third list of indicative occupational exposure limit values for the protection of workers from chemical risks.
	2010/32/EU (dated 10 May 2010). This health and safety directive implements the framework agreement on prevention from sharp injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector concluded by HOSPEEM and EPSU (the social partners in the sector).

Foreign Workers: EU Nationals

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the likely take-up of benefits by migrant workers from EU Accession states after the cessation of the transitional arrangements;
	(2)  what representations he has received on extension of the transitional arrangements for payment of benefits to migrant workers from EU Accession states.

Chris Grayling: No assessment has been made on the likely take-up of benefits from migrant workers from the current EU accession states after the cessation of the transitional arrangements.
	The lead responsibility for the transitional arrangements for migrants from the current EU accession states lies with the Home Office. I am aware that representations and correspondence on this issue have been received by the Home Office.

Foreign Workers: EU Nationals

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the level of overpayment of benefits to EU migrant workers in the UK; and whether he has put in place any arrangements to recover such overpayments.

Chris Grayling: Data to enable an estimation of the level of overpayment of benefits to EU migrant workers in the UK are not available.
	Recovery of a benefit overpayment from an EU migrant who resides in the UK would follow the normal departmental debt recovery processes. Where an EU migrant moves to another country within the EU, recovery can be made by that country under EU legislation. This legislation provides for one member state to recover overpayments on behalf of another member state either from arrears of benefit, by deduction from ongoing payments of benefit or by instalments if benefit is not in payment. The legislation also allows for enforcement action to be taken through the courts of the country in which the person is now residing where that action is appropriate.

Foreign Workers: EU Nationals

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department plans to publish on its website information on the cost to the public purse of benefits claimed by nationals of other EU member states working in the UK.

Chris Grayling: The information referred to is not available. The UK's benefit and tax credit payment systems do not record the nationality of people receiving such benefits. I have therefore commissioned my officials to look at alternative ways of making this information available.
	EU nationals who have worked and paid sufficient national insurance contributions, and meet the other conditions of entitlement, may be entitled to contributory benefits such as jobseeker's allowance.
	Those who have not paid sufficient contributions may claim income-related benefits(1) providing they satisfy the habitual residence test.
	(1) Income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, income-related employment support allowance, pension credit, housing benefit, and council tax benefit

Habitual Residence

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to bring forward proposals on the definition of habitual residence.

Chris Grayling: There are no plans to bring forward such proposals.
	To be eligible for an income-related benefit such as income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, pension credit, housing benefit or council tax benefit, a claimant must have a right to reside and be habitually resident in the common travel area(1). This is known as the habitual residence test. A person who fails either or both parts of the test is treated as a person from abroad and does not have access to such benefits.
	The term ‘habitual residence’ is not defined in social security legislation. This means that each case is considered on its own merits, in the light of the person's individual circumstances. In deciding whether a person is actually habitually resident, decision-makers, who decide entitlement to benefit, consider a wide variety of factors. These include reasons for coming to the United Kingdom, the length of their stay, future intentions, previous links with the country and, in the case of people returning to the United Kingdom, the reasons for their absence.
	(1) The United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and the Republic of Ireland

Health and Safety

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will review and respond to the recommendations of the British Chamber of Commerce report entitled Health and Safety: a risky business, published in May 2011.

Chris Grayling: There are no plans to respond to the British Chamber of Commerce report ‘Health and Safety: a risky business’ but we will consider the report's recommendations in taking forward the reforms of the health and safety system in Great Britain announced in ‘Good health and safety, good for everyone’ on 21 March 2011.

Housing Benefit: Offenders

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential effects of his proposed housing benefit changes on the resettlement of ex-offenders; and whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Justice on this issue.

Steve Webb: We published an impact assessment on 30 November 2010 that considered the effect of the changes to local housing allowance rates. The assessment is available on the Department for Work and Pensions website at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/lha-impact-nov10.pdf
	This includes an assessment of the justice impacts of these measures, including offender management impacts, which was undertaken following discussions with the Ministry of Justice.
	We have commissioned a consortium of leading research organisations to evaluate the effects of recent local housing allowance changes. They are undertaking an independent review which will run for two years. The research will include a longitudinal survey and in-depth interviews with landlords and tenants and work with advisers and local authority officers over the period of the review in different types of housing markets.
	The Social Security Advisory Committee is currently consulting on the change to the shared accommodation rate and we shall carefully consider their report and any recommendations they make. The Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Justice have had discussions on this change.
	We have tripled the funding for discretionary housing payments to provide a safety net, and to allow local authorities to target extra help where it is most needed.

Incapacity Benefits

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Skipton and Ripon constituency have been in receipt of incapacity benefits for more than (a) six months, (b) 12 months, (c) 18 months, (d) two years, (e) three years and (f) five years.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is given as follows.
	
		
			 Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance (IB/SDA) and employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants in Skipton and Ripon parliamentary constituency by duration: November 2010 
			  IB/SDA ESA 
			 Total 1,740 490 
			 Up to 6 months — 210 
			 6 to 12 months 10 130 
			 12 months to 18 months 20 80 
			 18 months to 2 years 10 60 
			 2 to 3 years 170 10 
			 3 to 5 years 260 — 
			 Over 5 years 1,280 — 
			 ‘—’ Denotes nil or negligible. Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding.  3. Incapacity benefit was replaced by employment support allowance from October 2008. 4. Data includes claimants receiving credits only. Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Industrial Health and Safety

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the long-term and short-term physical and psychological effects on workers of exposure to workplace temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius.

Chris Grayling: In 2009 HSE commissioned an independent review into workplace temperatures, which drew on the wide range of non-Government research available. Following this review HSE conducted a survey about temperatures in workplaces, to which 2933 completed responses were submitted. Evaluation of this and other data provided little evidence of significant numbers of illnesses, long or short term, physical or psychological, caused or exacerbated by exposure to high temperatures.

Industrial Health and Safety: Biofuels

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what health and safety guidance is available for domestic producers of biodiesel.

Chris Grayling: HSE issued a Health and Safety warning regarding the domestic production of biodiesel in 2009. This described the main hazards and advised it should only be carried out in controlled conditions by people with the proper training and experience. The information is available on the HSE website:
	http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/biodiesel.htm

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Office: Closure

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department of the closure of the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Office within Hartlepool Jobcentre Plus;
	(2)  how many staff will be affected by the closure of the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Office within Hartlepool Jobcentre Plus; how many such staff live in Hartlepool constituency; and in what other locations such staff will be required to work.

Chris Grayling: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Darra Singh
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking: what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department of the closure of the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) Office within Hartlepool Jobcentre Plus; and how many staff will be affected by the closure, how many live within Hartlepool constituency and what other locations such staff will be required to work in. This falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	It is anticipated that the decision to close 22 Benefit and Contact Centres will save £14 million by 2015. It is not always possible to be specific about the savings that will be realised through the closure of individual sites. Hartlepool IIDB centre is a prime example as it is co-located with a Jobcentre that is not set to close. Under such circumstances Jobcentre Plus will negotiate with estate provider Telereal Trillium to achieve savings by handing back whole floors of a building or it will explore the inward co-location potential.
	There are currently 55 staff working in the Hartlepool Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Office. The information requested on staff addresses by constituency is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	All of the staff in the Hartlepool Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Office will receive an offer of redeployment within Jobcentre Plus—either locally or further afield. There may also be additional opportunities for redeployment into other Civil Service posts, both within and outside our own Department.
	Having examined the redeployment potential, we have identified that Stockton Benefit Centre, Middlesbrough Contact Centre and Sunderland Benefit Centre all offer some scope. However, the immediate priority of Jobcentre Plus is to understand the individual circumstances of the members of staff affected. Each member of staff will have an individual consultation meeting with their own manager to discuss the closure, their personal circumstances and preferences, and the options that are available to them.
	It is worth emphasising that Hartlepool Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Office will close in 2012/2013 (the other closures that we announced on 13th May 2011 are set to close in the next 12 months). This grants us extra time to plan and arrange suitable redeployments for the staff at Hartlepool.

Mortgages

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of claimants of jobseeker's allowance in Barnsley Central constituency who (a) have been affected by his Department's changes to entitlement to mortgage interest payments and (b) will be affected in the 12 months following the change.

Chris Grayling: The standard interest rate which is used to calculate support for mortgage interest was changed to 3.63% from 1 October 2010. This change affects the entire support for mortgage interest caseload.
	(a) Number of JSA claimants receiving mortgage interest at Novembe r 2010
	The number of JSA claimants receiving mortgage interest is based on 5% sample data; figures less than 500 are subject to a high degree of sample variation and should be used only as a guide. In Barnsley Central the number is "nil or negligible"—as sample data are rounded to the nearest 100 this means that the derived figure is "less than 50" and so subject to large sample variation.
	(b) T he information is not available
	DWP only forecasts claimant numbers for Great Britain, and not at devolved Administration or regional level.

Pensions: Females

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received on women's pensions; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 June 2011, Official Report, column 487.

Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of contracts issued by (a) his Department and (b) agencies for which he is responsible were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises in (i) Scotland, (ii) South Lanarkshire and (iii) Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The Department has not routinely recorded information about the proportion of contracts issued by the Department and associated agencies that were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). I am not therefore able to provide you with the information in the format you have requested.
	However we do record details on the number of SMEs and the level of spend, which is illustrated in the following table:
	
		
			 DWP use of SMEs 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Number of SME suppliers to DWP 5,039 4,825 
			 All suppliers to DWP 31,685 23,047 
			 SME suppliers as % of all suppliers 16 21 
		
	
	
		
			 DWP direct expenditure with SMEs (£ million) 525 622 
			 DWP indirect expenditure with SMEs (£ million) 94 81 
			 Total DWP spend going to SMEs (£ million) 619 703 
			 SME spend as % of all DWP third party spend 13.48 15.19

Social Security Benefits: Health

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on attendance at reassessments by claimants in receipt of employer's support allowance and disability living allowance due to a degenerative illness.

Chris Grayling: Everyone who claims employment and support allowance (ESA) will undergo periodic work capability assessments (WCA) to ascertain whether they still meet the conditions for the benefit. This is because entitlement to ESA is based on an individual's functional ability rather than the condition itself. Even individuals with lifetime impairments may be able to adapt to those conditions and take up some work. So it is important we can provide them with the right support to get back to work when it is appropriate.
	Recipients of disability living allowance in receipt of a fixed term award are invited to reclaim the benefit towards the end of their existing entitlement period. The assessment of their new claim would be made on the basis of the evidence they provide in the claim form and any additional evidence they provide or the Department requires. This additional evidence can include an examination of the individual by a health care professional where required.

Universal Credit

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the evidential basis is for his assessment that the costs of automating universal credit applications will be lower than processing them face-to-face.

Chris Grayling: The Department's current approach to processing benefit applications is for a member of staff to enter relevant details into our system during a phone call with the claimant. The advantages of allowing a customer to directly enter their details which are then processed automatically far outweigh the costs of maintaining such a system.
	Information from JSA Online project is that the cost to the Department of an online JSA claim is almost three time cheaper when compared with a claim taken over the telephone.

Universal Credit

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements he plans to put in place in the case of individuals needing to provide information about personal circumstances which cannot be provided through the automated system for delivering universal credit.

Chris Grayling: Universal credit will make use of claimant information already held where possible. Otherwise we will ask the claimant to provide information about their circumstances, predominantly by online self service.

Welfare to Work

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which welfare-to-work organisations operating in Tottenham constituency have a contract with his Department.

Chris Grayling: The welfare-to-work organisations operating in the Tottenham constituency and delivering the West London Work programme contract on behalf of the Department are Ingeus UK Ltd, Maximus Employment UK Ltd and Reed in Partnership.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of UK official development assistance to Afghanistan was delivered through the armed forces in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Mitchell: No UK official development assistance is channelled through our armed forces in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what quick impact projects his Department funds in Afghanistan.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development does not fund any quick impact projects in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the security situation for humanitarian agencies operating in Afghanistan.

Andrew Mitchell: The United Nations (UN) and the Afghanistan non-Governmental Organisation Safety Office (ANSO) make assessments of the security situation for humanitarian agencies in Afghanistan. The UK supports ANSO through our contributions to the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission (ECHO).
	The UN currently categorises more than 40% of the country as high-risk for international humanitarian organisations due to a steady increase in security incidents since early 2008. Humanitarian access is particularly limited in the southern region of Afghanistan due to the escalation in insurgency and counter-insurgency activities.
	According to ANSO's assessment for 2010 there was a 27% fall in the total volume of attacks on NGO staff compared to 2009. This is partly as a result of humanitarian agencies reducing their presence in some of the most violent-prone areas of the country and adapting the way they work to minimise risk.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what regulations his Department introduced between 1 March 2011 and 31 May 2011; and what the estimated costs of implementation were for those affected in each case;
	(2)  what the name is of each regulatory measure revoked by his Department between 1 March and 31 May 2011; and what estimate he has made of the potential annual saving to those affected by each revocation.

Stephen O'Brien: The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), has not introduced any regulations since 1 March 2011 and is not responsible for any regulations that are currently in force.

EU Law

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for which European directives in force on 1 April 2010 his Department is responsible; and what European directives for which his Department is responsible have come into force since 1 April 2010.

Stephen O'Brien: There have not been any EU directives which have come into force either before or after 1 April 2010 for which the Department for International Development is responsible.

Kenya: Food

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he plans to take in relation to the food situation in Kenya.

Stephen O'Brien: Since October my Department has provided £5.3 million of support through United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations to meet and mitigate some of the worst effects of the drought—including the treatment and prevention of acute malnutrition in over 40,000 children under five years and the provision of safe water and sanitation to over 328,000 people and 330,000 livestock.
	DFID's Hunger Safety Net Programme also provides more than 60,000 of the most vulnerable households with regular cash payments.
	Following the release of new assessment data last week, DFID is rapidly scaling up its nutrition and food security programmes in the most affected districts. We are also assessing the recent Government of Kenya budget to see what impact it will have on the situation.

Overseas Aid

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions his Department has had with its G20 counterparts on increasing transparency in aid spending.

Andrew Mitchell: Most G20 members do not provide aid on traditional lines, but we are keen to encourage all development partners to be more transparent in their operations. Those members of the G20 who are also part of the G8 agreed at the Deauville summit to improve the transparency of aid information. In particular the G8 agreed to make further efforts on publishing information on allocations, expenditure and results and undertook to lead by example through increasing transparency in advance of the Fourth High Level Forum in Korea in November 2011.

Overseas Aid

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to support emerging economies' compliance with the International Aid Transparency Initiative.

Andrew Mitchell: We encourage all donors to make their aid more transparent. The International Aid Transparency Initiative is a voluntary coalition of 19 major aid providers and 20 developing countries aiming to implement greater transparency. We will continue to encourage broader membership, including among emerging economies. We will press for aid transparency to be a key element of agreements at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan where traditional and non-traditional donors will come together to discuss how to deliver better results for poor people from our collective aid efforts.

Overseas Aid

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what steps his Department plans to take to ensure value for money in aid given to fragile contexts;
	(2)  by what means he plans to assess value for money in aid given to fragile states.

Andrew Mitchell: My Department has completed three root and branch reviews of the UK aid programme, including in fragile contexts. The results of these reviews have been used to ensure all UK aid expenditure represents value for money for the UK taxpayer while bringing real benefits to the world's poorest people. All new DFID programmes, including those in fragile contexts, are now developed using a business case model, which puts value for money, results, and evidence about what works at the heart of the planning and evaluation processes.
	To ensure UK aid continues to offer good value for money all programmes are rigorously monitored to ensure the expected results are achieved cost-effectively. We are currently strengthening the existing processes in place for review of our programmes annually during implementation and at completion, which will place greater emphasis on results and value for money. The new approach will be introduced early in 2012 for all projects currently subject to annual review and for all projects newly-approved from January 2011.
	As part of the UK Aid Transparency Guarantee, all business cases and reviews are published on DFID's website. This way we are ensuring UK aid expenditure is open to public scrutiny. In addition, I have set up an independent body, the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), to evaluate the impact of UK aid. ICAI are able to review any part of the UK aid programme including aid spent in fragile contexts.

Somalia: Food

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has to respond to the food security situation in Somalia prior to the publication of the Bilateral Aid Review.

Stephen O'Brien: My Department is already supporting ongoing activities in Somalia that are reaching more than 1.3 million vulnerable people this year with emergency relief assistance—including the treatment of starving children, access to health care, essential vaccinations, water, sanitation, food assistance, shelter and activities to protect the livelihoods of pastoralists and farmers.
	Following the Bilateral Aid Review, the Department for International Development (DFID) has provisionally allocated funds to support humanitarian assistance efforts in Somalia over the next four years, subject to evidence that we are achieving results. We estimate that this assistance will reach at least 500,000 a year. My officials are currently identifying priority activities and partners who are best placed to respond given the deteriorating situation.

Somalia: Food

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has to respond to the food security situation in the Horn of Africa.

Stephen O'Brien: My Department is already supporting ongoing humanitarian programmes in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia and stands ready to do more, as recent assessments show the food security situation across the Horn of Africa is deteriorating.
	In Somalia these programmes are reaching more than 1.3 million vulnerable people this year with emergency relief assistance. In Ethiopia, my Department is supporting agencies to provide safe water and sanitation for over 900,000 beneficiaries, nutrition support to 2.5 million people, livelihoods support for over 3 million, and farming tools and household items to 300,000. In Kenya, my Department is supporting agencies to provide treatment and prevention of acute malnutrition; provision of safe water or sanitation and livestock inputs. Following the release of the new assessment data last week, DFID is scaling up its nutrition and food security programmes in the most affected districts.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dogs of each breed were used for experimental purposes in the UK in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Lynne Featherstone: Information on the numbers and species of animals used as part of scientific procedures, is reported annually in the publications ‘Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain’ (Home Office, Table 1a) and ‘Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Northern Ireland’ (Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Table 1a).
	There were a total of 4,108 beagles, 40 other dogs (including cross-bred dogs) and no greyhounds, used in procedures started in 2009 in the UK.
	Figures for 2010 for Great Britain will be published on 13 July 2011.
	Copies of the latest annual publications are available via the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science and DHSSPS websites at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/research-statistics/science/research-testing-using-animals/
	and
	http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/healthprotection-animalscience

Antisocial Behaviour

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the potential use of mediation to resolve (a) antisocial behaviour and (b) disputes between neighbours.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 17 June 2011
	We have not made a specific assessment of the use of mediation to resolve antisocial behaviour or disputes between neighbours. However the recent Home Office consultation paper, “More Effective Responses to Antisocial Behaviour” recognises that informal measures, including mediation, are an important part of the professionals toolkit offering a proportionate response to first-time or low-level incidents.

Burglary: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of trends in the conviction rate for burglary in (a) Bexley and (b) Greater London.

Crispin Blunt: Defendants proceeded against at the magistrates court and found guilty at all courts, and the conviction ratio for burglary offences in London and England and Wales, 2006-10, can be found in the following table.
	Prosecution and conviction data for Bexley are not held centrally by the Ministry of Justice. It is not known whether an assessment has been made of the trends in the conviction rate for burglary in Bexley and Greater London.
	
		
			 Defendants proceeded against at magistrates court and found guilty at all courts, and the conviction ratio for burglary offences in London and England and Wales, 2006-10 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 London(1)      
			 Proceeded against 4,522 4,402 4,303 4,575 4,592 
			 Found guilty 3.109 3,150 3,184 3,199 3,244 
			 Conviction ratio (%) 69 72 74 70 71 
		
	
	
		
			 England and Wales      
			 Proceeded against 30,637 31,065 30,850 30.871 31,811 
			 Found guilty 22,955 23.821 23,882 22,983 23,909 
			 Conviction ratio (%) 75 77 77 74 75 
			 (1) London includes City of London and Metropolitan police. Notes: 1. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these of fences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.

Conditions of Employment

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with (a) officials in her Department, (b) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and (c) outside organisations on the potential effects of the implementation of changes arising from the review of employment law on matters within her Department's responsibilities.

Damian Green: The review of employment-related laws being co-ordinated by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is a cross-Government initiative.
	All departments with a responsibility for employment-related law are engaged in the process, and relevant Ministers and officials are in contact with BIS on a regular basis in taking forward the review.
	Departments are engaging with their stakeholders on issues relating to the employment law review in accordance with their standard procedures for consulting formally and informally on policy development.

Crime: Finance

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which (a) voluntary and (b) community organisations received grant funding from her Department to tackle (A) knife crime, (B) gun crime, (C) sexual violence, (D) human trafficking and (E) domestic violence in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12.

Damian Green: In 2010-11 the Home Office made available funding to 144 voluntary and community organisations working to prevent young people's involvement in knife and gun crime through the Community Fund. A list of the successful applicants to the fund can be found at:
	http://grantsadmin.co.uk/homeoffice_communityfund/documents/FinalSuccessfulApplicantsListV2080709.doc
	The Home Office also provided funding to the Prince's Trust who gave out 67 awards through the Ben Kinsella Fund for the 2010-11 financial year.
	In 2011-12 the Home Office will be making available £2 million to voluntary and community organisations working to prevent young people's involvement in knife and gun crime though the communities against guns, gangs and knives fund (CAGGK). Over 600 applications were submitted for funding.
	Applications are currently being assessed and applicants will be informed of the outcome shortly.
	In addition, to the funding above for specific work to prevent gun and knife crime among young people, the Home Office also provided funding of over £2.8 million in 2010-11 to 53 voluntary and community organisations to deliver Positive Futures, a community based prevention programme targeting vulnerable 10 to 19-year-olds at risk of becoming involved in crime and substance misuse. In 2011-12, the Home Office is continuing to fund these 53 organisations at the same level.
	In 2010-11 the Home Office provided grant funding across 44 voluntary and community organisations towards the costs of employing 44 independent sexual violence advisers (ISVAs). In 2011-12 the Home Office is providing grant funding of £1.18 million spread across 59 voluntary and community organisations towards the costs of employing 59 ISVAs. Grants to the national bodies Rape Crisis (England and Wales) and Survivors Trust are also being made. These grants are paid towards the core funding costs of their national head offices.
	A list of the organisations supported for ISVA posts can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/crime/isva-funding
	In 2010-11 the Home Office paid £950,000 to the Ministry of Justice as a contribution to the Poppy Project to fund care for trafficking victims of sexual exploitation, and £142,045 to Migrant Helpline to fund care for victims of Forced Labour Trafficking.
	In 2011-12 the Home Office will be contributing £1 million to the Ministry of Justice to fund care for human trafficking victims through the new prime contractor model to be delivered by the Salvation Army from 1 July 2011. £50,000 of this will be paid to Migrant Helpline to cover the cost of victim care provided by them during the transition phase between 1 April 2011 and 30 June 2011.
	In 2010-11 the Home Office provided grant funding to voluntary and community organisations which work at a national level to support the victims of domestic violence to: Co-ordinated Action against Domestic Abuse (CAADA), Women's Aid, Refuge, Broken Rainbow, Eaves Housing and Respect.
	In 2011-12 the Home Office has provided grant funding: to Co-ordinated Action against Domestic Abuse (CAADA), Women's Aid, Refuge, Broken Rainbow, Eaves Housing and Respect.
	The Home Office has also provided funding to 13 voluntary and community organisations in 2010-11 and to 92 organisations in 2011-12. A list of those organisations who received funding in 2011-12 for IDVAs can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime/violence-against-women-girls/idva/
	This will also cover local authorities.

Defence Equipment

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what expenditure her Department will incur in relation to the Defence and Security Equipment International Exhibition between 13 and 16 September 2011; and whether Ministers from her Department plan to attend the event.

James Brokenshire: The only costs incurred by the Home Office in relation to the Defence and Security Equipment International Exhibition will be the possible costs of travel and subsistence incurred by visiting staff. No ministerial commitments have been made to this event at the present time.

Departmental Data Protection

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to promote visual data security in her Department; and what training her Department provides to its officials in respect of the management of visual data security.

Damian Green: In accordance with the best practice standards set out in the Hannigan Report and compliance with central Government guidance, the Home Office operates a range of information security training requirements for all staff to prevent any unauthorised third party access to its IT equipment. Training requirements include mandatory e-learning which all staff including contractors must undertake and pass on an annual basis.
	In addition, guidance on safeguarding information is published on the Home Office Intranet and is actively promoted to all staff by an ongoing communications campaign using posters, internal news items and presentations designed to ensure that all staff are aware of information safeguarding standards and where to seek advice.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what regulations her Department introduced between 1 March 2011 and 31 May 2011; and what the estimated costs of implementation for those affected were in each case;
	(2)  what the name is of each regulatory measure revoked by her Department between 1 March and 31 May 2011; and what estimate she has made of the potential annual saving to those affected by each revocation.

Damian Green: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Title Made (introduced) date Coming into force date Revoked date Estimated savings to those affected Estimated costs to those affected 
			 The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records and Registration) (Jersey) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 SI 2011/717 10 March 2011 6 April 2011 — — An increase of £8 in the fee for an enhanced criminal records certificate 
			       
			 The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records and Registration) (Guernsey) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 SI 2011/718 10 March 2011 6 April 2011 — — An increase of £8 in the fee for an enhanced criminal records certificate 
			       
			 The Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records)(Amendment) Regulations 2011 SI 2011/719 10 March 2011 6 April 2011 — — An increase of £8 in the fee for an enhanced criminal records certificate 
			       
			 The Immigration and Nationality (Cost Recovery Fees) Regulations 2011 SI 2011/790 14 March 2011 6 April 2011 — — (1)— 
			       
			 The Immigration and Nationality (Cost Recovery Fees) (No. 2) Regulations 2010 SI 2010/2226 7 September 2010 1 October 2010 6 April 2011 (1)— — 
			       
			 The Asylum Support(Amendment) Regulations 2011 SI 2011/907 23 March 2011 18 April 2011 — — A 3.1% increase in level of support provided to asylum seekers 
			       
			 The Asylum Support (Amendment) Regulations 2010 SI 2010/784 15 March 2010 12 April 2010 18 April 2011 A 3.1% increase in level of support provided to asylum seekers — 
		
	
	
		
			       
			 The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2011 SI 2011/1055 1 April 2011 6 April 2011 — — (2)— 
			       
			 The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (No. 2) Regulations 2010 SI 2010/2807 21 November 2010 22 November 2010 6 April 2011 (2)— — 
			       
			 The Civil Partnership (Registration Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 SI 2011/1171 26 April 2011 9 May 2011 — — No costs estimated to occur to those affected 
			       
			 The Registration of Marriages (Amendment) Regulations 2011 SI 2011/1172 26 April 2011 9 May 2011 — — No costs estimated to occur to those affected 
			       
			 The Crime and Disorder(Formulation and Implementation of Strategy) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 SI 2011/1230 9 May 2011 1 June 2011 — — No costs estimated to occur to those affected 
			       
			 The Immigration(European Economic Area) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 SI 2011/1247 9 May 2011 2 June 2011 — — No costs estimated to occur to those affected 
			       
			 The Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Monetary Penalty Notices and Consents for Interceptions) Regulations 2011 SI 2011/1340 26 May 2011 16 June 2011 — — No costs estimated to occur to those affected 
			 (1) The details of the changes to the fees are too complex and numerous to reproduce but they are set at or below the administrative cost of an immigration and nationality application, process or service in line with the Government's charging model. The full details are set out in the Explanatory Memorandum at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/790/memorandum/contents (2) The details of the changes to the fees are too complex and numerous to reproduce but they are set above the administrative cost of an immigration and nationality application, process or service in line with the Government's charging model. The full details are set out in the Explanatory Memorandum at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/1055/memorandum/contents

Deportation: Tamils

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will issue a direction to the UK Border Agency (UKBA) not to release to the Sri Lankan government documents held by the UKBA on those with Tamil ethnicity who face deportation to Sri Lanka.

Damian Green: holding answer 20 June 2011
	The UK Border Agency has a strict policy relating to the submission of information to third party authorities for the purposes of obtaining an emergency travel document. The policy specifically prohibits the submission of any documentation that refers to a subject's status in the UK or any evidence that could potentially pose a risk to an individual.

Deportation: Tamils

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information she holds on the number of Commonwealth citizens with Tamil ethnicity who were deported to Sri Lanka by the UK Border Agency and have subsequently disappeared in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: holding answer 20 June 2011
	There is no evidence that those previously removed to Sri Lanka have been mistreated by the Sri Lankan authorities.
	The UK Border Agency does not routinely monitor the treatment of individual failed asylum seekers who return to their home country. We believe that the best way to avoid ill-treatment is to make sure that we do not return those who are at risk. We do this by ensuring that trained caseworkers make the right decisions based on the circumstances of each individual case, and by providing a right of appeal to the independent courts.

Deportation: Tamils

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on the deportation by the UK Border Agency of those with Tamil ethnicity to Sri Lanka.

Damian Green: holding answer 20 June 2011
	The UK Border Agency carefully considers all asylum claims and human rights claims including those from Tamils on their individual merits in accordance with UK international obligations against the background of the latest available country information.
	We do not accept that all Tamil asylum seekers are in need of international protection. This view has been endorsed by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the case of NA v. UK 2008. An Asylum and Immigration Tribunal Country Guidance case in October 2009 agreed with the European Court and affirmed that in some cases there is a reduced the risk to Tamils than previous case law had identified.
	If an applicant demonstrates a need for international protection, asylum is granted. If their application is refused, they have a right of appeal to the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the Unified Tribunal framework. In this way we ensure that we provide protection to those asylum seekers who need it.

Deportation: Tamils

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the conclusions of the UN Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka, whether she has (a) assessed the safety and (b) conducted a risk assessment on the deportation by the UK Border Agency of those with Tamil ethnicity to Sri Lanka on 16 June 2011.

Damian Green: holding answer 20 June 2011
	The UK welcomed the UN Panel of Experts report to the UN Secretary-General on the issue of accountability for alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the military conflict in Sri Lanka. We have consistently called for an independent, thorough and credible investigation to address these allegations and expect to see progress by the end of the year.
	The protection needs of individual asylum seekers are assessed on an individual basis and are based on the risk they would face on return to their country of origin now, not on risks they may have faced in the past.

Drugs: Misuse

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to reduce the misuse of ketamine.

James Brokenshire: The Government are committed to tackling the misuse of all illicit drugs including ketamine.
	The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 define ketamine as a schedule 4 controlled drug. Companies and individuals wishing to lawfully possess, supply or produce controlled drugs must hold a Home Office domestic controlled drug license for the appropriate schedule and activity. Prospective licensees are subject to a formal application process within which their competence to hold a licence is assessed; this will include the satisfactory completion of a Criminal Records Bureaux (CRB) check and, in many cases, include a risk-assessed compliance visit.
	The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) carried out a formal study of ketamine in 2003 and produced a comprehensive report following which ketamine became, from 1 January 2006, a class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Our approach to tackling illicit drugs is outlined in the Drug Strategy 2010. It sets out the measures we will take to prevent people using drugs, including ketamine, in the first place and gives our continued support for FRANK, the drugs information and advice service. Where people do become dependent, it also sets out our commitment to take action to support them to recover and make a full and confident contribution to society.

Entry Clearances

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will estimate the number of visitors to the UK who will use the new Irish pilot visa waiver scheme in the next 12 months.

Damian Green: holding answer 20 June 2011
	We welcome the visa waiver programme announced by Irish Minister Alan Shatter and hope that it will lead to an increase in tourism and trade between our two countries. We are unable to estimate how many people from the countries included in the programme will wish to travel to Ireland from the UK during the trial period.

Entry Clearances

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the relationship between the (a) complexity of the short-term business visa system and (b) time taken by the visa application process and the level of foreign direct investment in the UK.

Damian Green: We recognise the importance to the UK economy of encouraging business people from overseas to visit the UK and are committed to running a visa service that fully supports business growth and investment while protecting our border. In 2010, 93% of business visit visa applications were successful and they were generally processed within three to five days, faster than applications for other categories of visa. We offer a range of premium visa services for business visitors in priority growth markets, including Russia, India, China and the Gulf states, and are piloting fast track processing and mobile biometric services for business people in selected countries. Guidance on applying for business and tourist visit visas is now available in six key languages and long-term, multiple entry business visit visas, with a validity of up to 10 years, are also available for regular travellers.

Entry Clearances: Domestic Service

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for a change of visa category her Department has received from migrant domestic workers who came to the UK with foreign diplomats and who have cited mistreatment as the reason for the change in the last three years.

Damian Green: We have taken “changed visa category” to mean submitting an in-country application for leave in another category.
	The information requested in relation to migrant domestic workers in diplomatic households submitting in-country applications for leave on the grounds of mistreatment is not held centrally by the UK Border Agency, and the information required would involve the investigation of individual records at disproportionate cost.

Entry Clearances: Domestic Service

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what timetable her Department has set for its review of visa protections for migrant domestic workers.

Damian Green: The Government published a consultation on employment-related settlement, Tier 5 of the points based system and overseas domestic workers, on 9 June 2011. That consultation includes proposals for reforming the overseas domestic worker routes, acknowledging that an important consideration is that there can be serious problems associated with the treatment of people working for others in a domestic capacity.
	The consultation is open for comment until 9 September and is available on the UK Border Agency website at:
	www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

Entry Clearances: Iraq

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the safety of Syria as a place for visa applicants in Iraq to collect their visas. [Official Report, 7 July 2011, Vol. 530, c. 19-20MC.]

Damian Green: We are closely monitoring the security situation in Syria. Our visa application centre remains open for business and applicants are able to make their applications in the normal way. Applicants who live in Iraq can choose to visit Syria, Lebanon or Jordan to make their applications.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the oral statement of 13 June 2011, Official Report, columns 54-5WS, on changes to immigration rules, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that as a consequence of part 8 (accountancy courses) the ACCA is independent of and not a sponsor for institutions and organisations providing ACCA-accredited qualifications.

Damian Green: The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is not an education provider; it is an awarding organisation and is therefore not eligible for a tier 4 sponsor licence. Education providers that do become licensed sponsors may only offer ACCA courses to international students under tier 4 if they are gold or platinum approved learning partners by ACCA.

European Arrest Warrants

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will estimate the average cost to the public purse of processes arising from a European arrest warrant.

Damian Green: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given on 1 April 2011, Official Report, column 548W. An exercise is currently under way to estimate the average cost of executing an EAW and an extradition request in England and Wales, and the results will be available in due course.

Extremism

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any financial transactions have taken place between foreign governments or police forces and (a) the National Public Order Intelligence Unit, (b) the National Domestic Extremism Team, (c) the National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit, (d) the National Coordinator for Domestic Extremism and (e) police units responsible for actions relating to domestic extremism.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not hold this information.

Extremism

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which foreign (a) governments and (b) police forces have had working relations with (i) the National Public Order Intelligence Unit, (ii) the National Domestic Extremism Team, (iii) the National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit, (iv) the National Coordinator for Domestic Extremism and (v) police units responsible for actions relating to domestic extremism.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not hold this information. The national police units will work with foreign agencies to tackle criminality in line with the relevant legal framework.

Extremism

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions her Department has had with the governments of countries where undercover police officers have been deployed from domestic extremism units since October 2010.

James Brokenshire: Deployment of undercover officers is an operational matter for chief officers who work within the relevant legal framework.

Human Trafficking

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2011, Official Report, column 708W, on human trafficking, what the criteria are that must be met by recognised victims of trafficking in order that they are not expected to return to their own country.

Damian Green: All victims of trafficking are offered a minimum 45-day recovery and reflection period. Some victims are UK nationals and some are EU citizens not subject to immigration control. Those that are subject to control may be eligible for a residence permit if their personal circumstances warrant them remaining in the UK or if they are co-operating with the authorities in a criminal investigation or proceedings. Victims of trafficking may also qualify to remain in the UK for a reason other than their victim status under the Immigration Rules.

Human Trafficking: Domestic Service

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of trafficking of migrant domestic workers by foreign diplomats are being investigated by police forces.

Damian Green: Investigations are an operational matter for the chief officers of police forces.

Human Trafficking: Domestic Service

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has assessed the merits of rescinding the sponsorship licence of an embassy where a diplomat is found to be repeatedly accused of trafficking a domestic worker to the UK.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency would take any such accusation extremely seriously. Action would be taken against a sponsor when the evidence had been established of such activity.
	Paragraph 530 of the UK Border Agency's published Tier 2/5 guidance for sponsors states that it may revoke a sponsors licence if:
	the sponsor, or any relevant person, is convicted of one of the following offences (unless the conviction is spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974):
	any offence under the Immigration Act 1971; the Immigration Act 1988; the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993; the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002; the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006; or the UK Borders Act 2007;
	trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Police: Pensions

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department has provided for the police pension top-up grant in each year since 2006.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 20 June 2011
	The current system of police pensions financing was introduced in April 2006, whereby each police authority pays employer and officer contributions into a separate account, which are then used to offset the police pensions in payment by that police authority. Where the income into the police authority pensions account from contributions (plus other payments such as inward transfer values) is insufficient to meet the cash cost of pensions in payment now, it is topped up by Home Office grant. The Home Office has provided total police pensions top-up grant for each financial year since 2006 as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2006-07 291 
			 2007-08 352 
			 2008-09 630 
			 2009-10 639 
			 2010-11 (1)721 
			 (1) The figure for 2010-11 is based on police authorities' unaudited data only at this stage, and payment of the balance in respect of 2010-11 is yet to be made; the figure provided is the total expected grant requirement once the balance of payment in arrears has been made.

Serious Organised Crime Agency

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff the Serious Organised Crimes Agency employed in each of the last five years.

Nick Herbert: The number of full-time equivalent staff employed by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), as of 31 March in the last five years is set out in the following table. The figure for 2007 is headcount, thereafter SOCA moved to reporting full-time equivalent staff numbers.
	
		
			 As at 31 March each year Number 
			 2007 4,285 
			 2008 3,973.45 
			 2009 4,014 
			 2010 4,060.9 
			 2011 3,872.5

UK Border Agency

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the average waiting time was at UK Border Agency desks at each Gatwick airport passenger terminal for those (a) with and (b) without EU passports in each of the last 24 months;
	(2)  what her most recent estimate is of UK Border Agency control waiting times at each Gatwick airport passenger terminal.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency constantly strives to provide a high standard of customer service at the border and is committed to expediting the entry of legitimate passengers and trade that help build the UK economy while at the same time maintaining a secure border.
	As a demonstration of the importance we place on passenger clearance times, our targets and performance against them will be published this year (2011-12) as part of the Government transparency agenda. This will enable members of the public to be fully sighted on average passenger clearance times, based on samples taken across the UK's ports and airports. Our current target is to clear 95% of EEA passengers within 25 minutes of joining the queue and non-EEA passengers within 45 minutes. Current year to date performance sits at 98% and performance is closely monitored to ensure that deployment of resource is flexed to deal with increases in traffic and maintain overall passenger clearance times while ensuring the border remains secure.
	While we do not measure performance against average waiting times we do record them and the details requested are provided in the following tables:
	
		
			 Gatwick North  :   EEA passengers   2009-10 to 2010-11 
			 2009-10 
			 Month Average queue time 
			 2009  
			 April 0:05 
			 May 0:05 
			 June 0:07 
			 July 0:06 
			 August 0:06 
			 September 0:07 
			 October 0:04 
			 November 0:03 
			 December 0:03 
			   
			 2010  
			 January 0:03 
			 February 0:04 
			 March 0:04 
			   
			 Average 0:05 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 
			 Month Average queue time 
			 2010  
			 April 0:04 
			 May 0:04 
			 June 0:05 
		
	
	
		
			 July 0:06 
			 August 0:07 
			 September 0:06 
			 October 0:05 
			 November 0:03 
			 December 0:03 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 0:04 
			 February 0:04 
			 March 0:04 
			   
			 Average 0:05 
		
	
	
		
			 Gatwick North:   Non-EEA passengers   2009-10 to 2010-11 
			 2009-10 
			 Month Average queue time 
			 2009  
			 April 0:09 
			 May 0:08 
			 June 0:12 
			 July 0:10 
			 August 0:09 
			 September 0:11 
			 October 0:06 
			 November 0:04 
			 December 0:05 
			   
			 2010  
			 January 0:05 
			 February 0:05 
			 March 0:05 
			   
			 Average 0:08 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 
			 Month Average queue time 
			 2010  
			 April 0:07 
			 May 0:07 
			 June 0:10 
			 July 0:11 
			 August 0:10 
			 September 0:11 
			 October 0:06 
			 November 0:06 
			 December 0:05 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 0:06 
			 February 0:05 
			 March 0:06 
			   
			 Average 0:08 
		
	
	
		
			 Gatwick South  :   EEA passengers   2009-10 to 2010-11 
			 2009-10 
			 Month Average queue time 
			 2009  
			 April 0:08 
			 May 0:09 
			 June 0:17 
			 July 0:10 
			 August 0:10 
			 September 0:08 
			 October 0:06 
			 November 0:05 
			 December 0:05 
			   
			 2010  
			 January 0:04 
			 February 0:05 
			 March 0:05 
			   
			 Average 0:08 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 
			 Month Average queue time 
			 2010  
			 April 0:05 
			 May 0:05 
			 June 0:07 
			 July 0:07 
			 August 0:07 
			 September 0:07 
			 October 0:06 
			 November 0:05 
			 December 0:04 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 0:04 
			 February 0:05 
			 March 0:05 
			   
			 Average 0:06 
		
	
	
		
			 Gatwick South  :   Non EEA passengers   2009-10 to 2010-11 
			 2009-10 
			 Month Average queue time 
			 2009  
			 April 0:14 
			 May 0:17 
			 June 0:30 
			 July 0:16 
			 August 0:11 
			 September 0:10 
			 October 0:08 
			 November 0:06 
			 December 0:08 
			   
			 2010  
			 January 0:05 
			 February 0:08 
			 March 0:07 
			   
			 Average 0:12 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 
			 Month Average queue time 
			 2010  
			 April 0:08 
			 May 0:08 
			 June 0:11 
			 July 0:12 
			 August 0:10 
			 September 0:10 
			 October 0:08 
			 November 0:08 
			 December 0:06 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 0:07 
			 February 0:08 
			 March 0:07 
			   
			 Average 0:08

UK Border Agency

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the most recent estimate is of border control waiting times at (a) Heathrow airport and (b) Heathrow terminal 4.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency constantly strives to provide a high standard of customer service at the border and is committed to expediting the entry of legitimate passengers and trade that help build the UK economy while at the same time maintaining a secure border.
	As a demonstration of the importance we place on passenger clearance times, our targets and performance against them will be published this year (2011-12) as part of the Government transparency agenda. This will enable members of the public to be fully sighted on average passenger clearance times, based on samples taken across the UK's ports and airports. Our current target is to clear 95% of EEA passengers within 25 minutes of joining the queue and non-EEA passengers within 45 minutes. Current year to date performance sits at 98% and performance is closely monitored to ensure that deployment of resource is flexed to deal with increases in traffic and maintain overall passenger clearance times while ensuring the border remains secure.
	While we do not measure performance against average waiting times we do record them and the details requested are in the following tables:
	
		
			 Heathrow terminal 1: EEA passengers 
			 2009-10 
			  Average queue time 
			 2009  
			 April 0:00 
			 May 0:00 
			 June 0:01 
			 July 0:02 
			 August 0:02 
			 September 0:02 
			 October 0:01 
			 November 0:01 
			 December 0:01 
		
	
	
		
			   
			 2010  
			 January 0:01 
			 February 0:01 
			 March 0:02 
			   
			 Average 0:02 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 
			  Average queue time 
			 2010  
			 April 0:02 
			 May 0:02 
			 June 0:03 
			 July 0:06 
			 August 0:08 
			 September 0:07 
			 October 0:07 
			 November 0:06 
			 December 0:04 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 0:04 
			 February 0:03 
			 March 0:03 
			   
			 Average 0:05 
		
	
	
		
			 Heathrow t  erminal 1: Non-EEA p  a  ssengers 
			 2009-10 
			  Average queue time 
			 2009  
			 April 0:02 
			 May 0:02 
			 June 0:03 
			 July 0:05 
			 August 0:04 
			 September 0:06 
			 October 0:03 
			 November 0:02 
			 December 0:02 
			   
			 2010  
			 January 0:03 
			 February 0:02 
			 March 0:03 
			   
			 Average 0:03 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 
			  Average queue time 
			 2010  
			 April 0:05 
			 May 0:05 
			 June 0:07 
			 July 0:13 
			 August 0:15 
		
	
	
		
			 September 0:17 
			 October 0:15 
			 November 0:12 
			 December 0:09 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 0:10 
			 February 0:08 
			 March 0:09 
			   
			 Average 0:06 
		
	
	
		
			 Heathrow terminal 2: EEA passengers 
			 2009-10 
			 2009 Average queue time 
			 April 0:02 
			 May 0:02 
			 June 0:01 
			 July 0:01 
			 August 0:01 
			 September 0:01 
			 October 0:01 
			 November 0:00 
			   
			 Average 0:02 
		
	
	
		
			 Heathrow terminal 2: Non-EEA passengers 
			 2009-10 
			 2009 Average queue time 
			 April 0:03 
			 May 0:03 
			 June 0:03 
			 July 0:04 
			 August 0:05 
			 September 0:05 
			 October 0:02 
			 November 0:01 
			   
			 Average 0:02 
		
	
	Immigration operations ceased at Heathrow terminal 2 in November 2009, due to refurbishment.
	
		
			 Heathrow t  erminal 3: EEA passengers 
			 2009-10 
			  Average queue time 
			 2009  
			 April 0:04 
			 May 0:03 
			 June 0:04 
			 July 0:05 
			 August 0:06 
			 September 0:06 
			 October 0:03 
			 November 0:02 
			 December 0:02 
			   
			 2010  
			 January 0:03 
			 February 0:02 
		
	
	
		
			 March 0:03 
			   
			 Average 0:04 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 
			  Average queue time 
			 2010  
			 April 0:03 
			 May 0:03 
			 June 0:04 
			 July 0:05 
			 August 0:05 
			 September 0:06 
			 October 0:04 
			 November 0:04 
			 December 0:04 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 0:05 
			 February 0:05 
			 March 0:06 
			   
			 Average 0:05 
		
	
	
		
			 Heathrow terminal 3: Non-EEA passengers 
			 2009-10 
			  Average queue time 
			 2009  
			 April 0:08 
			 May 0:10 
			 June 0:13 
			 July 0:15 
			 August 0:15 
			 September 0:23 
			 October 0:11 
			 November 0:06 
			 December 0:05 
			   
			 2010  
			 January 0:08 
			 February 0:07 
			 March 0:08 
			   
			 Average 0:11 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 
			  Average queue time 
			 2010  
			 April 0:11 
			 May 0:11 
			 June 0:14 
			 July 0:16 
			 August 0:14 
			 September 0:22 
			 October 0:13 
			 November 0:10 
			 December 0:09 
		
	
	
		
			 2011  
			 January 0:12 
			 February 0:11 
			 March 0:13 
			   
			 Average 0:18 
		
	
	
		
			 Heathrow terminal 4: EEA passengers 
			 2009-10 
			  Average queue time 
			 2009  
			 April 0:02 
			 May 0:02 
			 June 0:02 
			 July 0:02 
			 August 0:02 
			 September 0:02 
			 October 0:02 
			 November 0:02 
			 December 0:02 
			   
			 2010  
			 January 0:02 
			 February 0:01 
			 March 0.02 
			   
			 Average 0:02 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 
			  Average queue time 
			 2010  
			 April 0:04 
			 May 0:02 
			 June 0:03 
			 July 0:04 
			 August 0:03 
			 September 0:04 
			 October 0:03 
			 November 0:03 
			 December 0:03 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 0:03 
			 February 0:03 
			 March 0:03 
			   
			 Average 0:04 
		
	
	
		
			 Heathrow t  erminal   4  : Non-EEA passengers 
			 2009-10 
			  Average queue time 
			 2009  
			 April 0:06 
			 May 0:06 
			 June 0:08 
			 July 0:09 
			 August 0:07 
			 September 0:13 
		
	
	
		
			 October 0:13 
			 November 0:07 
			 December 0:07 
			   
			 2010  
			 January 0:10 
			 February 0:06 
			 March 0:10 
			   
			 Average 0:09 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 
			  Average queue time 
			 2010  
			 April 0:16 
			 May 0:13 
			 June 0:18 
			 July 0:22 
			 August 0:10 
			 September 0:23 
			 October 0:14 
			 November 0:13 
			 December 0:15 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 0:19 
			 February 0:16 
			 March 0:19 
			   
			 Average 0:17 
		
	
	
		
			 Heathrow terminal 5: EEA passengers 
			 2009-10 
			  Average queue time 
			 2009  
			 April 0:03 
			 May 0:02 
			 June 0:03 
			 July 0:03 
			 August 0:04 
			 September 0:04 
			 October 0:04 
			 November 0:03 
			 December 0:04 
			   
			 2010  
			 January 0:03 
			 February 0:04 
			 March 0:03 
			   
			 Average 0:04 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 
			  Average queue time 
			 2010  
			 April 0:05 
			 May 0:04 
		
	
	
		
			 June 0:05 
			 July 0:05 
			 August 0:06 
			 September 0:06 
			 October 0:05 
			 November 0:05 
			 December 0:05 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 0:05 
			 February 0:06 
			 March 0:05 
			   
			 Average 0:05 
		
	
	
		
			 Heathrow terminal 5: Non-EEA passengers 
			 2009-10 
			  Average queue time 
			 2009  
			 April 0:07 
			 May 0:07 
			 June 0:09 
			 July 0:13 
			 August 0:12 
			 September 0:18 
			 October 0:14 
			 November 0:11 
			 December 0:12 
			   
			 2010  
			 January 0.12 
			 February 0.12 
			 March 0.11 
			   
			 Average 0.12 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 
			  Average queue time 
			 2010  
			 April 0:18 
			 May 0:14 
			 June 0:18 
			 July 0:22 
			 August 0:18 
			 September 0:24 
			 October 0:16 
			 November 0:17 
			 December 0:17 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 0:19 
			 February 0:18 
			 March 0:15 
			   
			 Average 0:18

UN Office on Drugs and Crime: Finance

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the UK contributed to the budget of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in each of the last five years; and how much she plans to contribute in each of the next five years.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 16 June 2011
	The UK provides funds to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) through both voluntary donations and through its contribution to the UN Regular Budget. Through voluntary donations, the UK has contributed $40,405,400 to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in the last five years. A total of:
	
		
			 Contributed in: $ 
			 2006 10,357,603 
			 2007 5,001,401 
			 2008 4,447,026 
			 2009 5,784,127 
			 2010 3,613,835 
		
	
	Since the beginning of 2011 a further $11,201,408 has been donated.
	Through the UN Regular Budget the UK contributed the following amounts to the UNODC:
	
		
			 Contributed in: $ 
			 2006 1,054,368 
			 2007 1,142,992 
			 2008 1,311,659 
			 2009 1,311,659 
			 2010 1,294,090 
			 2011(1) 1,294,090 
			 (1) Based on current projections 
		
	
	The UK's future contributions to the UNODC through the UN Regular Budget will be dependent on the future allocation of UN Regular Budget funds to the UNODC and on the UN's scale of assessments. The Government continue to support the work of the UNODC and has provided funding this year to support activities assisting partner countries in countering the threats from narcotics and organised crime. We will continue to consider funding options for activity in future years.

Victim Support Schemes

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people on police computer databases are flagged as (a) adults at risk and (b) children at risk.

James Brokenshire: A specific “at risk” flag common to all national police databases does not exist. However, flags do exist on some databases for example, ViSOR (Violent and Sex Offender Register), and there are other flags that could be considered as indicating an “at risk” status, e.g. suicidal. Furthermore, inclusion on some of the national police databases may in itself be considered indication that the individual is “at risk”, e.g. missing persons DNA database. Not all information from police computer databases is held centrally. These systems are operational tools which are not designed to produce the specific information requested.

Visas

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many indefinite leave visas were issued in each month of the last three years.

Damian Green: We have taken indefinite leave “visas” to mean the number of indefinite leave to enter visas issued and the number of in-country indefinite leave to remain applications granted. The requested data tables have been placed in the Library of the House.

CABINET OFFICE

Government Departments: Disciplinary Proceedings

Caroline Flint: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on how many occasions officials of each Government department have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings since May 2010.

Francis Maude: This information is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office. This is a matter which is delegated to Departments subject to the conditions set out in Chapter 4 of the Civil Service Management Code.
	There has only been one case since May 2010 where a member of staff in Cabinet Office was subject to formal disciplinary proceedings and this was in relation to serious misconduct. However, we do not maintain a central record of formal disciplinary action in relation to minor misconduct, as this is dealt with locally by line managers.

Unemployment: York

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate has been made of levels of unemployment in York.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Question asking what recent estimate has been made of levels of unemployment in York. (61375)
	The latest available unemployment estimate for the 12 month period ending September 2010 for York is 6,700.

Unemployment: Young People

Tim Farron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the level of youth unemployment is in (a) England, (b) the North West, (c) Cumbria and (d) Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the level of youth unemployment is in (a) England, (b) the North West, (c) Cumbria and (d) Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency. (61104)
	Due to the small samples, estimates of youth unemployment for some of the requested areas cannot be given. As an alternative, Table 1 shows the number of persons, aged 16 to 24, claiming Jobseeker's Allowance, in the requested areas for May 2011, the latest date for which figures are available.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of people aged 16-24 claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance In England, the North West, Cumbria and Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency as at May 2011 
			  Level 
			 England 341,710 
			 North West 54,455 
			 Cumbria 2,565 
			 Westmorland and Lonsdale 125 
			 Source: Jobcentreplus administrative system

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what information his Department holds on (a) the average amount spent on electoral registration in England and Wales in the latest period for which figures are available and (b) the amount spent in each local authority area that failed to meet the participation standards to promote registration in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mark Harper: This information is not held by the Cabinet Office. The Electoral Commission has published financial data for each local authority in Great Britain, covering the 2007-08 and 2008-09 financial years. Information on the 2009-10 financial year will be published on their website in July 2011.
	The information requested under (a) can be found on the Commission's website:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/performance-standards/financial-information
	In respect of (b), the Electoral Commission informs me that 47 electoral registration officers did not meet the participation standard to promote electoral registration in the latest period of data collection. The local authority areas of the relevant EROs are provided in the following list. This information can also be found on the Electoral Commission's website at:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/performance-standards
	Adur
	Ashford
	Barking and Dagenham
	Basildon
	Blaenau Gwent
	Boston
	Broadland
	Broxtowe
	Cannock Chase
	Cardiff
	Ceredigion
	Cherwell
	Chiltern
	Christchurch
	Corby
	Craven
	Dacorum
	Eastbourne
	East Lindsey
	East Hertfordshire
	Eden
	Fenland
	Flintshire
	Halton
	Hambleton
	Harrogate
	Isle of Anglesey
	Kingston upon Hull
	Lewes
	Luton
	Maldon
	Middlesbrough
	Milton Keynes
	Norwich
	North Lincolnshire
	Portsmouth
	Preston
	Redbridge
	Rugby
	Solihull
	Spelthorne
	Stroud
	Sutton
	Uttlesford
	Wiltshire
	Worthing
	Wycombe.

EU Law

Julian Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for what European directives in force on 1 April 2010 his Department is responsible; and what European directives for which his Department is responsible have come into force since 1 April 2010.

Nicholas Clegg: My office is located within the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 20 June 2011, Official Report, column 70W.

House of Lords: Reform

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many representations he has received from individuals and organisations in Northern Ireland on reform of the House of Lords since May 2010.

Mark Harper: Since May 2010 the Government have received two representations on House of Lords reform from individuals and organisations in Northern Ireland.

Members: Allowances

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will discuss with the Chair of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority implications for staff budgets for hon. Members arising from implementation of the reduction in the size of the membership of the House of Commons.

Mark Harper: While the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 provides for the IPSA to determine the expenses scheme, the informal liaison group established earlier this year provides a forum in which Members of Parliament and members of the board and officials of the IPSA can discuss such issues.

Members: Conduct

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress he has made in developing proposals for a power of recall of hon. Members by their constituents.

Mark Harper: The Government are committed to bringing forward legislation to introduce a power to recall Members of Parliament. We are currently considering what would be the fairest, most appropriate and robust procedure and we will announce further details in due course.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what obligations there are on local authorities in respect of the achievement of carbon reduction targets;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure local authorities contribute to the achievement of carbon reduction targets.

Gregory Barker: There are no centrally imposed targets on local authorities in respect of the achievement of national carbon reduction targets.
	Local authorities are uniquely placed to provide leadership and vision on climate change action in their local communities. Many are enthusiastic about playing their part in meeting national carbon mitigation targets and have already set in place stretching ambitions and policies for emissions in their area—and are making a difference.
	To help build capacity DECC funded a £2.5 million Local Carbon Frameworks pilot programme in 2010-11 and we plan to publish the findings from that later this year. The recently signed memorandum of understanding between DECC and the Local Government Group also supports robust, self regulated action on carbon reduction. And we are working with local government to ensure that all local authorities support the roll out of the Green Deal across their areas.

Departmental Data Protection

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to promote visual data security in his Department; and what training his Department provides to its officials in respect of the management of visual data security.

Gregory Barker: DECC includes visual data security training via the staff induction process and promotes correct access of information via mobile devices to all staff via security e-learning processes, the departmental Intranet, individual section security briefings and via DECC all-staff communications.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what regulations his Department introduced between 1 March 2011 and 31 May 2011; and what the estimated costs of implementation for those affected were in each case.

Gregory Barker: The Department has introduced 13 statutory instruments that came into force between 1 March 2011 and 31 May 2011. They are:
	The Feed-in Tariffs (Specified Maximum Capacity and Functions) (Amendment) Order 2011
	Into force 30 May 2011
	No costs
	The Electricity (Individual Generation Exemptions) Order 2011
	Into force 18 May 2011
	No costs
	The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	Into force 13 April 2011
	No costs
	The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) (Fees) and National Emissions Inventory Regulations 2011
	Into force 6 April 2011
	Costs are detailed in the Impact Assessment, available at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/727/pdfs/uksiem_20110727_en.pdf
	The Nuclear Decommissioning and Waste Handling (Finance and Fees) Regulations 2011
	Into force 6 April 2011
	Costs are detailed in the impact assessment available at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/134/pdfs/uksiem_20110134_en.pdf
	The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (Amendment) Order 2011
	Into force 1 April 2011
	No costs
	The Warm Home Discount Regulations 2011
	Into force 1 April 2011
	Costs are detailed in the impact assessment, available at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/1033/pdfs/uksiem_20111033_en.pdf
	The Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order 2011
	Into force 1 April 2011
	Costs are detailed in the impact assessment, available at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/984/pdfs/uksiem_20110984_en.pdf
	The Offshore Petroleum Activities (Oil Pollution Prevention and Control) (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	Into force 30 March 2011
	No costs
	The Offshore Chemicals (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	Into force 30 March 2011
	No costs
	The Aviation Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	Into force 25 March 2011
	Costs are detailed in the impact assessment, available at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/765/pdfs/uksiem_20110765_en.pdf
	The Promotion of the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources Regulations 2011
	Into force 14 March 2011
	No costs
	The Gas (Exemptions) Order 2011
	Into force 1 March 2011
	Costs are detailed in the impact assessment, available at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/232/pdfs/uksiem_20110232_en.pdf

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the name is of each regulatory measure revoked by his Department between 1 March and 31 May 2011; and what estimate he has made of the potential annual saving to those affected by each revocation.

Gregory Barker: The Department has not revoked any regulatory measures between 1 March and 31 May 2011.
	However, DECC remains committed to simplifying the statute book and reducing the burden of regulation on business where possible. Internal reviews of our regulatory stock and engagement with our stakeholders has identified a number of potential repeals and simplifications to date, with the exact process for repealing these currently being explored. We will continue our efforts to identify opportunities to eliminate any unnecessary burden on businesses this year through full engagement with the ‘Red Tape Challenge’.

Energy: Housing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government bringing forward proposals to protect tenants from unfair eviction arising from a request for an energy efficiency upgrade to their homes; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: I have raised this issue with my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Local Government and we intend to consider the potential for unfair evictions well in advance of secondary legislation for the private rented sector. Our initial consideration will be informed by a stakeholder working group.

Fuel Poverty

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what obligations there are on local authorities in respect of steps to tackle fuel poverty.

Gregory Barker: There are no obligations on local authorities as regards fuel poverty directly.
	Local authorities are involved in seeking to maximise the benefits of schemes that are available to assist those who are in, or who are vulnerable to, fuel poverty. For example, such schemes to improve the energy efficiency of households include Warm Front, the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and the Community Energy Savings programme.

Fuel Poverty: North East

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of households in (a) the North East and (b) North West Durham constituency living in fuel poverty in 2009-10.

Gregory Barker: In 2008, the latest year for which data are available, there were estimated to be 236,000 households living in fuel poverty in the North East region.
	In the North West Durham constituency, the figure was 9,400 households.

Insulation: Housing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to introduce a national plan for insulating houses in areas of high deprivation; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: Green Deal is a national framework which will support the insulation of all homes from 2012. There is no intention to create a separate plan for delivering insulation to deprived areas. However, we are also taking powers in the Energy Bill to introduce a new Energy Company Obligation (ECO) which will have a specific focus on low income and vulnerable households, and will be an important route for the insulation of homes in areas of high deprivation.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library a copy of each response to his Department's consultation on the fast-track review of feed-in tariffs received since 22 March 2011.

Gregory Barker: Responses to public consultations are not generally placed in the Library. However, the non-confidential responses received in relation to the fast-track consultation on the Feed-in Tariffs scheme are published alongside the Government response document on the DECC website:
	www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/fit_review/fit_review.aspx

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many solar photovoltaic installations with a generating capacity between (a) 50 and 100 kilowatts, (b) 101 and 150 kilowatts and (c) 151 kilowatts and five megawatts that were in receipt of feed-in tariffs in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: At the end of the first year of the Feed in Tariffs scheme (31 March 2011) the following solar photovoltaic schemes were confirmed:
	(a) five schemes between 50 and 100 kilowatts;
	(b) Zero schemes between 101 and 150 kilowatts;
	(c) One scheme between 151 kilowatts and 5 megawatts.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects of his decision to set new feed-in tariffs for small-scale low-carbon electricity on the UK's development of solar photovoltaics projects.

Gregory Barker: The recent Government response to the fast-track review of Feed-in Tariffs confirmed the Government's intention to introduce new tariffs for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations of between 50 kilowatts (kW) and five megawatts (MW) and all stand-alone installations. We consider that, under the new tariffs, some schemes will continue to be viable, particularly under the new tariff for 50kW to 150kW projects. This, together with activity at the domestic scale, will contribute to the development of a viable PV industry in Great Britain.

EDUCATION

Business Plans

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress has been made on actions (a) 5.1.i, (b) 5.1.ii, (c) 5.2.ii and (d) 5.2.iii of his Department's business plan which were due for completion in March 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: An updated business plan for the Department for Education was published in May 2011. Progress updates on actions 5.1.i, 5.1.ii, 5.2.ii and 5.2.iii from the initial Department for Education business plan, published in November 2010, are set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Action Progress update 
			 5.1(i) Develop a Sure Start children's centres reform programme The reform programme has been developed, and will be articulated and published as part of the Foundation Years policy statement in summer 2011. Further work will continue over the next two years to implement the reform programme. 
			 5.1 (ii) Work with local authorities to develop a plan to increase voluntary and community sector involvement within Sure Start children's centres, improve accountability arrangements, increase the use of evidence-based interventions, and introduce greater payment by results This action is under way. This is now part of the Foundation Years policy statement and will be articulated and published as part of that statement in summer 2011. 
		
	
	
		
			 5.2(ii) Develop proposals to improve the quality of the early years workforce This action is under way. This is now part of the Foundation Years policy statement and will be articulated and published as part of that statement in summer 2011. 
			 5.2 (iii) to Explore options for allowing parents greater flexibility to use their early education entitlement This action is completed. We are working with seven local authorities to trial new approaches to giving parents greater flexibility in how they use their free entitlement to early education. It is anticipated these trials will inform future policy development. 
		
	
	Copies of the updated business plan and structural reform plan progress report for the Department for Education are available at the following link:
	http://transparency.number10.gov.uk/transparency/srp/

Children: Poverty

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what resources his Department expects to allocate to the implementation of measures set out in A New Approach to Child Poverty: Tackling the Causes of Disadvantage and Transforming Families' Lives in each of the next three years.

Sarah Teather: The Government's first national child poverty strategy was set against the backdrop of a challenging spending review that placed a high priority on improving the life chances of children and protecting vulnerable families, while also making crucial progress in reducing the nation's deficit. To improve life chances, we will tackle head-on the causes of poverty which underpin low achievement, aspiration and opportunity across generations. To help achieve these goals, the Department has introduced a number of initiatives specifically targeted at the most vulnerable children and families in our society:
	the Fairness Premium worth £7.2 billion over the spending review period;
	the Pupil Premium worth £2.5 billion a year to 2014-15;
	the Early Intervention Grant worth £2,222 million in 2011-12 and £2,307 million in 2012-13;
	the 16-19 Bursary Fund which guarantees the most vulnerable 16-19-year-olds bursaries of £1,200 a year.
	The Government's localism agenda enables local areas to agree their own tailored and place-based approaches to tackling child poverty. The Child Poverty Act 2010 established a framework for local partners to co-operate to tackle child poverty in their areas, and the sector-led support package should build capability further. In addition, local areas have access to a Child Poverty Core Offer of sector-led support to help them tackle child poverty. As part of this Offer, we will be sharing the practice and learning from the Child Poverty pilots that have run in over 70 areas over the last three years.
	The roll-out of Community Budgets, payment by results and social impact bonds, together with an increased focus on evidence-based early intervention, will further support local areas to establish innovative approaches to tackling child poverty.

Class Sizes

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average class size is of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) East Sussex, (ii) Brighton and Hove, (iii) Brighton, Kemptown constituency and (iv) West Sussex in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The requested information is shown in the table.
	Data for 2011, at national and local authority level, will be published on 22 June and will be available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001012/index.shtml
	
		
			 Maintained primary and state-funded secondary schools  (1, 2)  : Classes as taught  (3)  . As at January each year. In East Sussex and Brighton and Hove local authorities, Brighton Kemptown parliamentary constituency and West Sussex local authority 
			  Average class size 
			  East Sussex local authority Brighton and Hove local authority Brighton Kemptown parliamentary constituency West Sussex local authority 
			  Maintained primary  (1) State-funded secondary  (1, 2) Maintained primary  (1) State-funded secondary  (1, 2) Maintained primary  (1) State-funded secondary  (1, 2) Maintained primary  (1) State-funded secondary  (1, 2) 
			 2006 27.5 21.6 27.4 22.8 27.2 23.2 26.6 21.8 
			 2007 27.3 22.1 27.9 22.7 27.2 22.9 26.6 21.5 
			 2008 27.3 21.6 28.1 22.1 27.2 22.1 26.6 21.2 
			 2009 27.2 21.6 27.9 21.7 26.5 21.9 26.9 21.3 
			 2010 27.4 21.9 27.9 22.2 26.6 22.5 26.7 21.1 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (3) One teacher classes as taught during a single selected period in each school on the day of the census in January. Source: School Census

Health Education: Sex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the materials used in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools for the teaching of sex education; what plans he has for the use of such material in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what guidance his Department issues to schools on the materials used in sex education in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools; what recent representations he has received on this issue from (i) hon. Members and (ii) the parents of (A) primary and (B) secondary school pupils; what response was given by his Department in each such case; if he will place in the Library a copy of each such response; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: I have received a number of representations on the materials used in primary schools for the teaching of sex education. I believe, however, that schools are best placed to use their professional judgment to determine their own approach to sex education—including the resources they use to support their teaching—so that they can take account of the views of parents, the needs of the local community and the ethos of the school. We have made no assessment of the materials used in primary and secondary schools for the teaching of sex education, and have no plans to do so.
	All schools must have regard to the Secretary of State for Education's statutory guidance, “Sex and Relationships Education (2000)”, when teaching sex education. This is designed to protect pupils from teaching and materials which are inappropriate having regard to the age and religious and cultural background of the pupils concerned. Inappropriate images should not be used nor should explicit material not directly related to explanation.
	We have received three recent PQs from one hon. Member on the issue of guidance issued to schools on materials used in sex education in primary schools. I refer my hon. Friend to the responses given on 14 March 2011, Official Report, column 50W and on 21 March 2011, Official Report, column 845W. In addition, we have received a number of letters from hon. Members, on behalf of their constituents, and from members of the public on this issue.
	A copy of the response to each of these letters can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, I have placed in the House Libraries a copy of a response to one of these letters; others would have received a similar reply. In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 I have redacted all personal information from this response.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reasons his Department is not undertaking its review of personal, social, health and economic education as part of the review of the National Curriculum.

Nick Gibb: The remit for the National Curriculum Review is to consider those subjects that are currently part of the National Curriculum. Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is not part of the National Curriculum, and therefore will not be considered by the National Curriculum Review.
	However, it is because children and young people can benefit enormously from high-quality PSHE, that we announced our intention to conduct an internal review into PSHE. The review will determine how schools can improve the quality of all PSHE teaching, including giving teachers the flexibility to use their judgment about how best to deliver PSHE education.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to ensure that stakeholders can contribute to his Department's review of personal, social, health and economic education.

Nick Gibb: I can confirm that when we launch the review of personal, social, health and economic education, we will consult with a range of stakeholders including teachers, parents, faith group, subject associations and campaign groups.

Pre-school Education

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what dates his Department has held (a) meetings and (b) discussions with external organisations or individuals on the formulation of his Department's policy statement on early years education; and what the name is of each organisation and individual consulted.

Sarah Teather: The Department for Education and Department of Health are committed to developing the policy statements on the early years in a wholly collaborative manner. We have engaged a wide range of individuals and organisations in meetings and discussions at ministerial and official level over the past six months. In particular, we are working very closely with a steering group of sector leaders who are advising us on the statements, and a number of other groups focused on specific policy issues. Details of the steering group, including biographies, are available on the Department for Education's website at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/earlylearningandchildcare/developing/b0075088/co-production-steering-group/

Pre-school Education

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to publish his Department's early years policy statement.

Sarah Teather: The Department for Education and Department of Health plan to publish the early years policy statement this summer.

Schools: Attendance

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many parental requests for authorised absence during term time were (a) approved and (b) declined in (i) Walsall education authority, (ii) Bradford education authority, (iii) Stoke-on-Trent education authority, (iv) Wolverhampton education authority and (v) England in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education does not collect data on the number of parental requests for authorised absence during term time. The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 state that head teachers may grant leave of absence during term time. The Department looks to schools themselves to consider each request as they can only be judged on a case-by-case basis taking into account individual circumstances. We would not want to interfere with that process.
	The available absence statistics can be found in the “Pupil Absence in Schools in England, Including Pupil Characteristics: 2009/10” Statistical First Release at
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000994/index.shtml
	The authorised absence rates for Walsall, Bradford, Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton local authorities and England for 2009/10 are shown in the table.
	
		
			 Maintained primary, state-funded secondary and special schools  (1, 2, 3)  : Pupil absence by type of school 2009/10. In Walsall, Bradford, Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton local authorities and England 
			  Percentage of sessions missed due to authorised absence  (4)  : 
			  Maintained primary schools  (1) State-funded secondary schools  (1, 2) Special schools  (3) Total 
			 Walsall 5.16 5.74 8.67 5.47 
			 Bradford 4.66 4.82 8.82 4.73 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 4.27 4.65 6.69 4.47 
			 Wolverhampton 5.18 5.61 9.35 5.45 
			      
			 England 4.54 5.43 8.30 5.00 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges and academies (including all-through academies). (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (4) The number of sessions missed due to authorised absence expressed as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions. Source: School Census

Schools: Disclosure of Information

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's guidance to schools on giving access to information on a child's progress to both parents where those parents are separated.

Sarah Teather: The current guidance “Schools, Parents and Parental Responsibility”, published in 2000 gives advice on the rights, under education law, of non-resident parents to be involved in their child's education. We know however that concerns have been expressed about this guidance. The coalition Government are reviewing schools guidance as part of their commitment to reducing bureaucracy. In reviewing this set of guidance we will seek to improve the clarity. New guidance will help all schools understand their legal obligations to provide information to parents about their child's progress, including that separated parents should be treated equally wherever possible.

Schools: Reading West

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils at each school in Reading West constituency gained three or more A-levels at grades of A to A* in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The information is as follows:
	
		
			   Number and percentage of pupils achieving 3 or more A levels at grades A*-A in selected years 
			 Secondary schools in Reading West constituency  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School Number (1)— 0 (1)— 0 0 
			  Percentage (1)— 0 (1)— 0 0 
			        
			 Denefield School Number 0 0 3 3 0 
			  Percentage 0 0 4 5 0 
			        
			 John Madejski Academy(2) Number n/a n/a (3)— (3)— (3)— 
			  Percentage n/a n/a (3)— (3)— (3)— 
			        
			 Little Heath School Number 9 6 17 10 24 
			  Percentage 7 4 11 6 14 
			        
			 Pangbourne College Number 6 3 5 8 8 
			  Percentage 10 5 10 14 12 
			        
			 Prospect School Number 0 (1)— 0 0 (1)— 
			  Percentage 0 (1)— 0 0 (1)— 
			        
			 Theale Green Community School Number 7 4 7 9 16 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 7 12 7 8 14 
			 (1) Figures have not been shown due to very small numbers. (2) Figures for John the Madejski Academy are only available from 2008. (3 )Figure has been suppressed due to 10 or fewer students in the institution cohort.

Special Educational Needs

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements he plans to put in place to protect vulnerable children following the implementation of his planned reform of special educational need statements.

Sarah Teather: The vision set out in the Green Paper on Special Educational Needs and Disability is to create a system which improves the life chances of the most vulnerable children in society.
	The proposed reform of statements of special educational needs will be tested in pathfinder areas. The protections of the current system will remain in place during the testing phase.

Teachers: Training

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the quality of teachers of the withdrawal of funding for Master's-level continuous professional development for teachers.

Nick Gibb: The single most important determinant of a good education is for every child to be taught by good teachers. We recognise that teachers are our greatest asset and that their professional development is very important.
	This Government's approach to teachers' professional development is based on research that shows that teachers learn best from other professionals through observing teaching, being observed, and receiving feedback from peers.
	We are creating a national network of teaching schools on the model of teaching hospitals and launching a new scholarship scheme for teachers.
	The Government's approach to teachers' professional development is outlined in the White Paper entitled ‘The Importance of Teaching’ published on 24 November 2010.

Teachers: Training

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many newly qualified teacher placements were advertised by each local education authority in (a) 2008, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) 2011 to date.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not collected centrally.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Regulation

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to implement the recommendations of the Task Force on Farming Regulation.

James Paice: The independent Task Force on Farm Regulation published its report on 17 May. The report makes over 200 recommendations following an extensive review of regulations that affect farmers and producers. We have identified a number of areas from the report where we can take immediate action. The Government will now look closely at the task force's other recommendations and publish an initial response this autumn with a full response early in 2012.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) legal and (b) policy advice she received from officials in her Department on the Austrian ban on wild animals in circuses.

James Paice: The Government's legal advice is protected by legal professional privilege and the Government's position is that they do not ordinarily waive the legal privilege attaching to any legal advice received and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs does not propose to do so on this occasion. The formulation of Government policy is not normally disclosed and is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
	However, legal and policy advice on the Austrian ban on the use of wild animals in circuses has mainly centred on the details of the Ombudsman's and European Commission's investigations following a complaint by the European Circus Association.

Carbon Emissions: Plastic Bags

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the likely effects on levels of carbon emissions of implementation of a duty on businesses to charge for plastic carrier bags.

Richard Benyon: Figures for the likely reduction in carbon emissions are not currently available. Such calculations would be made as part of an impact assessment for any future policy for the reduction of single use carrier bags.

Departmental Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress her Department has made in encouraging small businesses to bid for Government contracts.

Richard Benyon: The Department, its executive agencies and non-departmental bodies use the Government website Contracts Finder to publish all opportunities greater that £10,000. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are encouraged to register on this site and are automatically advised of these opportunities.
	Many DEFRA agencies and bodies tender contracts using the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) ‘Buying Solutions’ framework contracts. OGC policy encourages small businesses to compete for work under these frameworks.

Droughts

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers she has to direct the manner in which water companies communicate hosepipe bans nationally.

Richard Benyon: The Water Industry Act sets out the process by which a water company must notify its customers of a temporary use ban. The company must publish information in at least two newspapers which circulate in the area within which the ban is to apply, and it must provide details on its website.
	Water companies have statutory drought plans which set out the steps they will take in response to a drought, including the triggers that will lead them to take those actions. The process for preparing the plans includes consultation with customers and other stakeholders.
	The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has powers to specify any matters the drought plan should address. However, it is the responsibility of each water company to develop a plan that will enable it to fulfil its water supply duty in a way that takes account of the particular circumstances of its supply area.

Droughts

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the steps taken by countries with climates similar to the UK to manage the introduction of water restrictions in times of drought.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has not commissioned any comparative work on drought measures in different countries in recent years. However, the Department has contributed, through an EU working group, to the development of a report on water scarcity and droughts which was adopted on 18 July. 2008. The reports associated with this provide a comparison between drought measures and actions in different parts of Europe, and this work is continuing.
	Following the drought in 2004-06 DEFRA commissioned Waterwise to produce a report on the effectiveness of hosepipe bans and other water use restrictions in managing the impacts of drought. As part of that work Waterwise considered the steps taken in other countries to introduce water restrictions. The report was published in November 2006 and its finding taken into account when DEFRA consulted in 2007 on proposals to update the legislative framework for managing-drought.
	In addition, in the last five years DEFRA and the Environment Agency have jointly funded research comparing drought situations across mainland Europe, as well as the effectiveness of drought measures in the UK in extreme droughts.

Droughts: Horticulture

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department made of the effect on garden centres and the gardening industry of (a) hosepipe bans and (b) prolonged periods without rainfall in 2006.

Richard Benyon: No separate assessment was made of the impact on garden centres and the gardening industry of the dry spell in 2006.
	When water is in short supply, the statutory framework for managing droughts is designed to protect the public water supply for essential domestic uses. Water resources legislation enables Government to manage water abstraction demands, taking account of water availability, and the needs of businesses, consumers and the environment. Temporary restrictions on non-essential uses of water can help defer or avoid the need for more stringent demand restrictions on customers and businesses, and help to protect the environment.

Environment Agency: Pay

Martin Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff of the Environment Agency receive London weighting allowance.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 20 June 2011
	The May 2011 Environment Agency payroll shows that 385 full-time and 16 part-time members of staff received the London weighting allowance.

Fisheries

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will take steps to reserve for active fishermen the allocation of UK fixed quota;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the merits of introducing tradable permit schemes for fisheries management;
	(3)  what her policy is on establishing a register of fishermen that hold fixed quota allocation.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA is currently consulting on proposals to reform the fisheries management arrangements in England, with the aim of securing a more profitable and sustainable industry. Options being explored include the allocation of tradable fixed quota allocations (FQAs) to fishermen in the English under-10m fleet, and the development of a public register of FQA holdings to help build greater transparency into the system. Views have also been received on the issue of the holding of quota by non-active or non-fishing interests.
	No decisions have yet been taken on the final reform package. The consultation closes on 30 June, after which all responses will be reviewed in order to determine the next steps for this work.

Fisheries

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with fish producer organisations in Northern Ireland in advance of the forthcoming negotiations for total allowable catches for each fish species; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: A scientific briefing session for stakeholders has been arranged for 1 July, where the producer organisations and officials of Northern Ireland will be present. The issue of all fish stocks of interest to the UK will be addressed at this meeting.

Fisheries

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation on the environmental effects of the cultivation of protein through aquaculture.

Richard Benyon: The UK participates at Food and Agriculture Organisation meetings on fisheries and aquaculture issues, most recently the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) held in February 2011. The UK recognises the growing global importance of aquaculture for food and nutrition security and supports international initiatives that ensure growth in the aquaculture sector is environmentally sustainable.

Floods: Hertfordshire

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment the Environment Agency has made of the risk of flooding in North East Hertfordshire constituency arising from increased surface water.

Richard Benyon: Following the Pitt Review, the Environment Agency produced national surface water flooding maps in 2008. These were provided to local resilience forums and gave an initial indication of areas that may be susceptible to surface water flooding.
	In March 2010 the Environment Agency published the second generation of these, entitled 'Flood Map for Surface Water'. These included a number of improvements, such as the influence of buildings and the sewer system.
	For a rainfall event with a one in 30 chance of occurring in any one year there are approximately 2,000 residential properties at risk from surface water flooding within the North East Hertfordshire constituency, and a total of 3,200 buildings.
	For a rainfall event with a one in 200 chance of occurring in any one year there are approximately 4,000 residential properties at risk, and a total of 6,100 buildings (about 10% of the buildings in the constituency).
	The Flood Risk Regulations (2009) require lead local flood authorities (LLFAs) to prepare a Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PFRA) report of local flood risks for their area. The PFRA has to make use of all available information and will include the maps mentioned above. The local authorities will be using the maps and any other local information for the PFRA to make their best assessment of flood risk from surface water and may revise the figures indicated above.
	The Floods and Water Management Act requires LLFAs to prepare local flood risk management strategies. Hertfordshire county council is the LLFA in this constituency and will be preparing the strategy in due course.

Food Supply

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to increase the amount of home-grown food consumed in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: holding answer 13 June 2011
	As set out in the DEFRA Business Plan, our priority is to support and develop British farming and encourage sustainable food production. We will work to enhance the competitiveness and resilience of the food chain, including farms and the fish industry, to help ensure a secure and environmentally sustainable supply of food. Currently the UK produces the equivalent of 74% of indigenous foods and 60% of our food overall.
	The Fruit and Vegetable Taskforce on increasing consumption and production brought together the whole supply chain to identify and unblock barriers; they reported in summer 2010 and agreed an action plan in October 2010. The action plan was divided into production, supply chain and consumption. Most recommendations, which are fairly technical, have made significant progress and we are looking to produce an-updated progress report later in the year.
	We will also work to create an environment where consumers are able to make informed choice, including working with industry for better information provenance and quality of food e.g. encouraging the whole food supply chain to work together to provide clearer origin information and working with specialist producers to help them apply for registration under the protected food name schemes.

Forestry Commission: Redundancy

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate she has made of the likely redundancy costs in the Forestry Commission in each of the next four financial years.

James Paice: The Government's clear commitment to tackle the deficit resulted in a tough spending review for all Departments. Although the Forestry Commission (FC) is a non-ministerial Government Department, it receives its budget from DEFRA's Resource Budget. The net costs for voluntary exit and redundancy schemes will be met by DEFRA where there is sound business rationale and value for money. DEFRA has to achieve a reduction of 30% in real terms over the spending review period.
	The FC worked closely with Ministers so they could take decisions on an appropriate spending review settlement to ensure the delivery of key outcomes such as biosecurity. The FC's settlement, which equates to a reduction of around 25% over the next four years, also took account of FC England's ability to generate income from operating the public forest estate e.g. through timber sales. The restructuring of FC England, FC Great Britain and Forest Research has been based on offering a combination of voluntary exit and voluntary redundancy schemes. The latest estimate of likely costs for these exits in each of the next four years is as follows:
	
		
			 Best estimated cost  (1) 
			  £ million 
			 2011-12 2.9 
			 2012-13 8.4 
			 2013-14 0.6 
			 2014-15 0.5 
			 (1) Subject to change dependent on take-up.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Crops

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the European Commission's legislative proposal on member state decision-making on the cultivation of genetically-modified crops.

James Paice: The Government do not support the Commission's proposal. We do not believe that it will provide member states with meaningful discretion to take legally sound national decisions. We are also concerned the proposal would undermine the principle of the single market and move away from regulatory decisions being grounded on a science-based safety assessment.

IBM

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many contracts her Department holds with IBM; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Richard Benyon: The core Department and some of its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies are provided with IT and network services under a single outsourced infrastructure managed service contract with IBM UK Ltd that expires in February 2018.
	The annual monetary value of the contract will vary from year to year as it is based on services taken, including projects and consumables.
	In the fiscal year 2010-11 the amount paid under this contract to IBM by all areas of the Department, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies who took services, projects or consumables was £131.324 million. Please note this figure includes some elements of VAT.

Land: Ownership

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has any plans to bring forward legislative proposals on land-owning land maintenance companies.

Jonathan Djanogly: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have no plans to change the law of England and Wales in relation to the rights of the owners of individual properties, whether freehold or leasehold, against land-owning land maintenance companies, but are keeping the situation under review. The law on these matters in Scotland and Northern Ireland and on housing law in Wales is the responsibility of the relevant devolved Administration.

Plastic Bags

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the European Commission's proposal for an EU-wide ban on plastic carrier bags.

Richard Benyon: We support the Commission's consultation looking at the possible options for the reduction in the use of plastic carrier bags, including charging and a ban. We are currently assessing all the options and will submit our response to the consultation in due course.

Rivers

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress British Waterways and the Environment Agency have made in removing barriers to fish movement in the River Trent.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency has identified 15 barriers to fish migration on the River Trent. All can be passed at some flows by salmon with varying degrees of difficulty. Progress in tackling these barriers is at varying stages. In some cases, the design of fish passes has been completed and negotiations have started on implementation. In other cases, further work is needed to determine what fish passage measures are needed.
	Some of these barriers are at weirs which are the subject of proposals for hydropower development. For its part, British Waterways is working with a number of hydro-electricity station developers to construct hydro plants at most of the River Trent weirs below Shardlow. All of these plants incorporate a fish and eel pass.
	The Environment Agency will also be reviewing all structures along the Trent and its tributaries over the next few years to ensure compliances with the Eel Regulations. This will require eel and elver passage to be enabled at weirs, locks, and all other obstructions.

Rivers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to revise river management plans; and what assessment she has made of the compliance of those plans with the EU Water Framework Directive.

Richard Benyon: The first river basin management plans were published in December 2009 as required by the water framework directive. These are due to be updated by 22 December 2015, in accordance with the directive. The European Commission is currently in the process of undertaking a compliance assessment of the plans, but we believe they meet the requirements of the directive.

Rural Areas: Finance

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has provided guidance to (a) HM Treasury and (b) other Government Departments to assist them in assessing the effects of spending decisions in rural areas.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 17 June 2011
	DEFRA provided a short guidance note to all Departments in August 2010 to assist them in understanding the differences between urban and rural areas and the importance of rural proofing all policies and spending decisions.
	We continue to work closely with all Departments, including HM Treasury, to ensure that they reflect rural needs and interests in their policies, programmes and spending decisions.

Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of contracts issued by (a) her Department and (b) agencies for which she is responsible were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises in (i) Scotland, (ii) South Lanarkshire and (iii) Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Richard Benyon: The Department and its Executive agencies with the exception of the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) and the Food, Environment and Research Agency (FERA) are unable at present to identify accurately in their systems all small and medium-sized enterprises and their locations. To provide an answer would require a significant amount of manual effort and would incur disproportionate costs.
	The Department and its Executive agencies are working on introducing changes to systems and processes to capture and record improved data on all small and medium-sized enterprises consistent with the needs of the Government policies on transparency and commitments to SMEs.
	The proportion of CEFAS contracts placed with SMEs is:
	(i) Scotland: 2%
	(ii) South Lanarkshire: 0%
	(iii) Rutherglen and Hamilton West: 0.09%.
	FERA has reviewed expenditure in Scotland and has identified one supplier only in South Lanarkshire who is a SME. They have no suppliers in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency.

Seas and Oceans

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to receive the most recent scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea on total allowable catch; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA will receive the most recent scientific advice by 29 June. A scientific briefing session for stakeholders has been arranged for 1 July, where the fishing industry will be present. The issue of all fish stocks of interest to England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be addressed at this meeting.

Seas and Oceans: Ireland

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to improve the water quality of the Irish sea off the coast of England.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency works in partnership with the Marine Management Organisation to achieve cleaner coasts and healthier seas, including on the Irish Sea Conservation Zone Project.
	The quality of waters off the coast of England used for bathing and by shellfish has improved over the last 30 years as a result of significant investment. The National Environment Programme, which forms part of United Utilities' Asset Management Plan for 2010-15, includes schemes designed to improve the quality of shellfish and bathing waters.
	The environmental improvements included in the North West and Solway Tweed River Basin Management Plans will help deliver improvements to the water quality of the Irish sea, as required by the water framework directive. The Environment Agency has also completed a review of all environmental permits that could impact on the European designated estuarine and coastal sites adjacent to the Irish sea under the habitats directive. Required improvements will be implemented through changes to environmental permits through the river basin planning cycle of the water framework directive.
	Under DEFRA's Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative there are four priority catchments to mitigate diffuse pollution from agriculture and help improve water quality in the areas. Phase 3 of the initiative (which runs from 2011-13) is likely to expand into four further catchments to improve estuarine and coastal waters.
	We have implemented the Nitrates Directive (Council Directive EEC/676/1991) by introducing the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008. This legislation is intended to reduce the loss of nitrates from agricultural land (the major source of nitrate in our surface and ground waters) in areas where watercourses are polluted with these.
	The Environment Agency also works with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to ensure that nuclear sites such as Sellafield will meet the UK Strategy for Radioactive Discharges. The Environment Agency continues to inspect and audit Sellafield Ltd's arrangements to ensure that best available techniques are used to prevent or minimise discharges to the Irish sea.
	31 beaches on this section of the English coast are designated as bathing waters under the Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC) and there are 14 shellfish waters designated under the Shellfish Waters Directive (2006/113/EC). These directives set water quality standards and are therefore drivers for improvement to coastal water quality.

Single Payment Schemes

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress her Department has made in delivering Single Payment Scheme payments.

James Paice: The Rural Payments Agency met the EU benchmark to pay 95.238% of the 2010 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) fund value by end of June 2011 during week commencing 16 May 2011. This was reached two weeks ahead of expectations and six weeks ahead of the closure of the payment window at the end of June.

Waste Oil

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information her Department holds on (a) the effects of waste oil on watercourses and (b) theft of waste oil.

Richard Benyon: Oil and fuels are the second most frequent type of pollutant of inland waters in England and Wales that are reported to the Environment Agency. Oil is a highly visible pollutant that can reduce levels of dissolved oxygen in rivers and affect water abstracted for drinking water, making it unsuitable for use; it can also harm wildlife.
	Oil pollution incidents reported to the Environment Agency have halved compared with 10 years ago, since the introduction of the oil storage regulations in England, which put in place robust storage and containment requirements. There are now around 3,000 reported pollution incidents involving oil and fuels every year.
	It is not possible to identify offences of theft of waste oil from the police recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office. Anyone transporting, handling or treating waste oil will-need to comply with waste management legislation.

Waste Oil

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the level of incentives for energy from waste cooking oil.

Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), has not had direct discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), or the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), on the level of incentives for energy from waste cooking oil. DEFRA officials continue to engage with officials in the Department of Energy and Climate Change on their incentives schemes for renewable energy, including the renewables obligation which is currently undergoing a banding review.

Water

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the Natural Environment White Paper, what her timetable is for implementation of measures to deliver investment to meet future water demand and protect ecosystems.

Richard Benyon: We are currently considering how we can reform the abstraction regime to provide clearer signals to abstractors to make the necessary investments to meet water needs and protect ecosystems. Further details will be announced in the Water White Paper, due for publication by December.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Tobacco

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he holds on addiction rates for (a) alcohol, (b) tobacco and (c) controlled substances in each primary care trust area.

Anne Milton: The information is not available in the format requested. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 24 March 2011, Official Report, columns 1280-82W, which gives regional, estimates of addiction rates.

Cancer: Drugs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has given to primary care trusts on the use of the Cancer Drugs Fund to fund cancer treatments approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) but which are awaiting full implementation of NICE guidance; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: The Department published Guidance to support operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund in 2011-12 on 23 March 2011. This makes clear that where the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has positively appraised a technology for the treatment of a particular indication, then it should be made available on the national health service in line with NICE'S recommendations. In these cases, primary care trusts (PCTs) would normally be expected to assume responsibility for patients whose treatment had previously been supported by the fund.
	PCTs are normally required to provide funding for NICE technology appraisal recommendations within three months of the publication of final guidance. PCTs and strategic health authorities should therefore agree arrangements for the transfer of funding responsibility from the Cancer Drugs Fund to PCTs within this period of time.
	A copy of the guidance has already been placed in the Library.

Care Homes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the financial incentives for care home owners to invest in their services.

Paul Burstow: No such assessment has been made by the Department.
	However, it is estimated that, by 2026, the number of people aged 85 is projected to double and the number of people aged over 100 to quadruple(1). Some of these may require residential care services.
	(1) Government Actuary's Department, 2007.

Care Homes: Inspections

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with what frequency safeguarding boards review inspection reports on care homes.

Paul Burstow: Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs) are local independent bodies, which are made up of key local partners in an area. They always include the local authority, local health partners and the police and frequently involve other organisations such as voluntary organisations, representatives of the Care Quality Commission and service users. As the lead local responsible agency for adult safeguarding, the local authority usually convenes and manages the board.
	SABs make their own decisions on the degree of scrutiny they give to care homes. In addition to SABs, local commissioners can be expected to review inspection reports when they renew contracts or place residents in care homes.

Care Quality Commission: Finance

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the budget of the Care Quality Commission is for 2011-12;
	(2)  if he will increase the budget of the Care Quality Commission.

Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has an initial 2011-12 revenue budget settlement of £50 million from the Department. The CQC has also estimated that fees due from registered providers in 2011-12 will amount to £92 million. The Department will shortly confirm the CQC's initial 2011-12 budget for capital and associated revenue charges.
	The CQC's financial position is kept under constant review during the financial year.

Care Quality Commission: Vacancies

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many unfilled posts there were in the Care Quality Commission on 31 March 2011.

Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission has advised that it had 249 vacancies on 31 March 2011, and that it began a recruitment exercise in April 2011.

Carers

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the work of the Cambridgeshire Carers' Partnership Board, if he will assess the merits of establishing a national carers' partnership board for the purposes of facilitating discussion and highlighting the needs of carers.

Paul Burstow: The Department has asked the Government's expert advisory body, the Standing Commission on Carers, to carry out fact-finding visits during 2011-12 to collect actual and emerging positive practice around carers' lives and contribute to the development of the evidence base. Membership of the Commission includes a wide range of expertise including experience of caring.
	The Commission has already been in discussion with Cambridgeshire county council and NHS Cambridgeshire with a view to carrying out a visit during July. The Commission will be interested to learn more about the work of the Cambridgeshire Partnership Board.
	There is already a Cross Government Carers Strategy Board which is responsible for the delivery of the Carers' Strategy across Government and is accountable to Ministers. Membership includes national voluntary carers' organisations, professional bodies, as well as Government Departments.

Carers: Finance

Angie Bray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS funding to support carers in the community is reaching the carer organisations for which it is intended.

Paul Burstow: The Department is making an additional £400 million available in primary care trust (PCT) baselines to fund carers' breaks between 2011-2015. This funding is included in PCT allocations. The money is not ring-fenced as PCTs have flexibility to decide how much to invest on individual priorities in the light of their local circumstances and priorities. It is also for PCTs to decide if they wish to allocate any of this money to local organisations to support carers in their area.
	However, the 2011-12 NHS Operating Framework, published on 15 December, makes it clear that:
	‘PCTs should pool budgets with local authorities to provide carers' breaks, as far as possible, via direct payments or personal health budgets. For 2011/12, PCTs should agree policies, plans and budgets to support carers with local authorities and local carers' organisations, and make them available to local people.’
	For 2011-12, PCTs should publish local plans where appropriate and, specifically, they are required to publish their local plans to deliver both dementia services and services to support carers.

Carers: Hertfordshire

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much NHS Hertfordshire spent on respite breaks for carers in the most recent year for which information is available.

Paul Burstow: Information on spend on respite care breaks is not held centrally.
	However, NHS Hertfordshire and the local authority have had a pooled budget (led by the local authority) in place for carers and carers' support since 2009-10 and they intend to continue that arrangement beyond 2011-12.
	There is a pooled budget of £630,000 in 2011-12 to support carers, primarily for breaks services.
	In addition, the primary care trust contributes £184,000 per year towards the core costs of Carers in Hertfordshire, the local voluntary sector carers' organisation.

Conditions of Employment

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with (a) officials in his Department, (b) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and (c) outside organisations on the potential effects of changes arising from the review of employment law on matters within his Department's responsibilities.

Simon Burns: The review of employment-related laws being co-ordinated by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is a cross-Government initiative.
	Those Departments with a responsibility for employment-related law are engaged in the process, and relevant Ministers and officials are in contact with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on a regular basis in taking forward the review. The Department of Health does not have a responsibility for employment-related law.
	Departments are engaging with their stakeholders on issues relating to the employment law review in accordance with their standard procedures for consulting formally and informally on policy development.

Contraceptives

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions for emergency contraceptives were issued in each primary care trust area in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: Drugs used in emergency contraception are classified in the British National Formulary (BNF) section 7.3.5—Emergency contraception. The number of prescription items that were written and dispensed in England for each issuing primary care trust (PCT) in 2010-11, is shown in the table.
	
		
			 PCT Number of prescription items 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan 840 
			 Barking and Dagenham 948 
			 Barnet 1,330 
			 Barnsley 1,401 
			 Bassetlaw 359 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 1,023 
			 Bedfordshire 2,324 
			 Berkshire East 1,556 
			 Berkshire West 2,870 
			 Bexley Care Trust 777 
			 Birmingham East and North 2,781 
			 Blackburn with Darwen CTP 258 
			 Blackpool 887 
			 Bolton 916 
			 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching 2,293 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching 3,150 
			 Brent Teaching 1,684 
			 Brighton and Hove City 2,524 
			 Bristol 2,604 
			 Bromley 1,249 
			 Buckinghamshire 2,090 
			 Bury 535 
			 Calderdale 1,183 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,948 
			 Camden 1,341 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire 949 
			 Central Lancashire 1,481 
			 City and Hackney Teaching 1,673 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 3,211 
			 County Durham 1,711 
			 Coventry Teaching 2,201 
			 Croydon 2,812 
			 Cumbria Teaching 1,689 
			 Darlington 414 
		
	
	
		
			 Derby City 839 
			 Derbyshire County 2,194 
			 Devon 3,269 
			 Doncaster 1,498 
			 Dorset 1,947 
			 Dudley 1,063 
			 Ealing 1,252 
			 East Lancashire Teaching 938 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 795 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald 2,054 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent 3,307 
			 Enfield 1,393 
			 Gateshead 616 
			 Gloucestershire 2,593 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney 982 
			 Greenwich Teaching 1,863 
			 Halton and St. Helens 1,232 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 939 
			 Hampshire 4,299 
			 Haringey Teaching 1,107 
			 Harrow 1,007 
			 Hartlepool 438 
			 Hastings and Rother 881 
			 Havering 911 
			 Heart of Birmingham 2,233 
			 Herefordshire 750 
			 Hertfordshire 4,791 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale 1,113 
			 Hillingdon 1,325 
			 Hounslow 646 
			 Hull Teaching 721 
			 Isle of Wight NHS 470 
			 Islington 1,588 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 590 
			 Kingston 736 
			 Kirklees 2,278 
			 Knowsley 541 
			 Lambeth 2,887 
			 Leeds 5,600 
			 Leicester City 2,064 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland 3,082 
			 Lewisham 1,783 
			 Lincolnshire 3,273 
			 Liverpool 2,006 
			 Luton 865 
			 Manchester 4,456 
			 Medway 1,011 
			 Mid Essex 1,667 
			 Middlesbrough 550 
			 Milton Keynes 1,361 
			 Newcastle 954 
			 Newham 2,177 
			 Norfolk 5,486 
			 North East Essex 1,911 
			 North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus 1,051 
			 North Lancashire Teaching 1,059 
			 North Lincolnshire 896 
			 North Somerset 1,036 
			 North Staffordshire 707 
			 North Tyneside 405 
			 North Yorkshire and York 3,616 
		
	
	
		
			 Northamptonshire Teaching 4,015 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 958 
			 Nottingham City 1,635 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching 2,007 
			 Oldham 763 
			 Oxfordshire 3,552 
			 Peterborough 960 
			 Plymouth Teaching 2,071 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching 1,023 
			 Redbridge 1,127 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 621 
			 Richmond and Twickenham 626 
			 Rotherham 780 
			 Salford 1,034 
			 Sandwell 1,230 
			 Sefton 649 
			 Sheffield 3,246 
			 Shropshire County 1,472 
			 Solihull 716 
			 Somerset 2,894 
			 South Birmingham 2,940 
			 Per South East Essex 1,225 
			 South Gloucestershire 1,449 
			 South Staffordshire 2,515 
			 South Tyneside 393 
			 South West Essex 1,915 
			 Southampton City 961 
			 Southwark 1,607 
			 Stockport 1,303 
			 Stockton-on-Tees Teaching 562 
			 Stoke on Trent 749 
			 Suffolk 2,966 
			 Sunderland Teaching 676 
			 Surrey 3,607 
			 Sutton and Merton 1,290 
			 Swindon 913 
			 Tameside and Glossop 1,451 
			 Telford and Wrekin 1,238 
			 Torbay Care Trust 819 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,641 
			 Trafford 440 
			 Wakefield District 1,836 
			 Walsall Teaching 2,502 
			 Waltham Forest 1,262 
			 Wandsworth Teaching 1,546 
			 Warrington 460 
			 Warwickshire 1,437 
			 West Essex 1,205 
			 West Kent 2,591 
			 West Sussex 3,466 
			 Western Cheshire 736 
			 Westminster 1,046 
			 Wiltshire 2,838 
			 Wirral 1,232 
			 Wolverhampton City 912 
			 Worcestershire 2,120 
			 Unidentified 2,884 
			 Total England 251,226 
			 Source: Prescribing Analysis and CosT tool (PACT) system

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the name is of each regulatory measure revoked by his Department between 1 March and 31 May 2011; and what estimate he has made of the potential annual saving to those affected by each revocation.

Simon Burns: The Department has revoked the following regulations from 1 March to 31 May 2011:
	The Walsall Hospitals National Health Service Trust (Establishment) Order 1990 by The Walsall Hospitals National Health Service Trust (Establishment) Order 2011—SI Number 2011/791; and
	The Hull and Goole Port Health Authority Order 1982 by The Hull and Goole Port Health Authority Order 2011—SI Number 2011/939.
	The regulations change names and functions. Neither regulation has any monetary impact.

Dermatology

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of NHS dermatologists; and what recent estimate he has made of the number of dermatologist vacancies.

Simon Burns: The annual NHS Workforce Census shows that at 30 September 2010 there were 853 full-time equivalent dermatology staff. Of this number, there were 462 full-time equivalent dermatology consultants.
	The latest Vacancy Survey at 31 March 2010 showed that there were 10 dermatology vacancies which had been advertised for three months or longer and the vacancy rate was 2.2%.
	Workforce planning is a matter for local national health service organisations. They are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health community and plan the workforce to meet those needs.
	The Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CfWI) is the new national authority on workforce planning and development providing advice and information to the NHS and social care system. It supports long-term and strategic scenario planning for the whole health and social care workforce, based on research, evidence and analysis and will look to build strong leadership and capability in workforce planning.
	The CfWI has carried out a piece of work commissioned by the Department to analyse and inform on the numbers of doctors going into medical specialty training following on from foundation training. The Dermatology summary sheet is available at:
	www.cfwi.org.uk/intelligence/cfwi-medical-summary-sheets/recommendation-for-dermatology-training-2011

Diabetes: Children

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to produce a nationwide schools information scheme to raise awareness of diabetes among South Asian children.

Sarah Teather: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department's commitment to cut bureaucracy and burdens on the frontline has implications for how we communicate with key audiences. Sending blanket communications on issues such as medical conditions awareness is not an effective way to reach schools. Direct communications to schools are restricted to very high priority, or key operational, information. The DfE website is now our primary mode of communicating with schools—the relevant information on this issue can be found at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/pastoralcare/health/b0013771/managing-medicines-in-schools
	However, schools are under a legal duty to promote the well-being of their pupils. They are key settings for improving the health of children and young people. Good schools will be active promoters of good health in childhood and adolescence, including focussing on healthy eating, increasing physical activity and the provision of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. Teachers may choose to explore awareness of medical conditions and their causes as part of PSHE education.
	We encourage other organisations, such as employer and staff associations and charities such as Diabetes UK, to play their part in supporting schools and parents and in sharing good practice, including raising awareness among schools of diabetes among South Asian children.

Diamorphine: Prices

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS pays per gram for diamorphine; and if his Department has made an assessment of the price paid by other European health services.

Simon Burns: The Department does not collect information on the basis of price per gram of diamorphine. We have made no assessment of the price paid by our European counterparts.

EU Law

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what European directives in force on 1 April 2010 his Department is responsible; and what European directives for which his Department is responsible have come into force since 1 April 2010.

Anne Milton: The stock of European Union legislation in force is set out in the Eur-Lex database:
	http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm
	It would be of disproportionate cost to review the entire stock to establish which pieces of legislation were currently the responsibility of the Department of Health or its predecessor Departments.
	Two directives have been published in the Official Journal since 1 April 2010, for which my Department is responsible:
	Directive 2010/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2010 on standards of quality and safety of human organs intended for transplantation. Member states shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 27 August 2012.
	Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2011 on the application of patients' rights in cross-border healthcare. Member states shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 25 October 2013.
	We have not included directives that are the responsibility of other Departments, but are related to the health sector.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to take steps in relation to internet sites charging a fee for European health insurance cards.

Anne Milton: The Department provides European Health Insurance Cards free of charge. In August 2010, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), in consultation with the Department, took action against five internet sites that were charging for checking applications for the European Health Insurance Card and referring them to the NHS Business Services Authority, who process applications on behalf of the Department. The Department has reported any new internet sites that it is aware of to the OFT, and is exploring further options to tackle this issue.

Home Care Services: Standards

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require local authorities to maintain standards of provision of home care for those with critical or substantial needs;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on the effect of the comprehensive spending review on the provision of home care services.

Paul Burstow: Local authorities are responsible for determining their own eligibility for adult social care in line with statutory guidance, issued by the Department in February 2010, “Prioritising need in the context of Putting People First: a whole system approach to eligibility for social care—guidance on eligibility criteria for adult social care, England 2010”. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
	In recognition of the pressures on the social care system in a challenging fiscal climate, the Government have allocated an additional £2 billion by 2014-15 to support the delivery of adult social care. This means, with an ambitious programme of efficiency, that there is enough funding available both to protect people's access to services and deliver new approaches to improve quality and outcomes. However, it is for local authorities to manage their budgets with regard to local needs and priorities.
	Ministers have set out their ambition to publish a White Paper to reform adult social care, followed by legislation. The White Paper will build on the “Vision for adult social care: Capable communities and active citizens”, which was published in November 2010. It will also set out the Government's response to the recommendations of the Law Commission, published in May 2011, to modernise the social care statute and the recommendations of the independent Commission on the Funding of Care and Support on how to assure a fair, affordable and sustainable funding system for care and support, which will be published in July 2011.

Housing: Vulnerable Adults

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to ensure that institutions where vulnerable people are living will be inspected more regularly;
	(2)  what plans he has to enable the Care Quality Commission to make more frequent and unannounced inspections of care homes.

Simon Burns: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England. It is responsible for developing and consulting on its methodology for assessing whether providers are meeting the registration requirements regulations (made under the The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the 2008 Act), and published its “Guidance About Compliance” and supporting documentation in March 2010.
	The 2008 Act registration system does not set any prescribed inspection frequencies in regulations. Instead, the CQC determines the appropriate inspection frequency based on its assessment of risk.

Ketamine

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to publicise the dangers of recreational use of the drug ketamine.

Anne Milton: FRANK, the Government's drugs information and advice service, includes information on the risks of the recreational use of Ketamine. The Department obtains expert medical advice to ensure that the information is accurate.

Learning Disability

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take in relation to the implementation of the recommendations of the Mansell Report on people with complex needs.

Paul Burstow: A written ministerial statement on 10 February 2011, Official Report, columns 15-16WS, announced the Government's response to Professor Mansell's report, “Raising our Sights: Services for Adults with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities”. We accept and support the conclusions of the report, which was commissioned by the Department.
	The elements of good service and good practice examples included in this report sit very clearly within the programme of work which the Government are leading to support independent living for people with. learning disabilities, and to support local service planning and commissioning to meet identified needs in their locality.
	I announced on 7 June 2011, Official Report, columns 13-15WS, that I have asked officials to draw together the key lessons from the reviews being undertaken by the Care Quality Commission, the national health service and safeguarding boards into the events at Winterbourne View hospital. The recommendations of the Mansell report will be addressed within that work and Professor Mansell is assisting the Department in the examination of the issues.

Mental Health Services

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of (a) levels of demand for services for people with mental health problems and (b) the capacity of existing services to meet such demand;
	(2)  what plans he has for the recruitment and training of therapists in the treatment of people with mental health problems;
	(3)  what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) psychiatric treatment, (b) cognitive behavioural therapy and (c) prescription drugs for people with mental health problems.

Paul Burstow: It is for the local national health service to assess the needs of their populations and to plan how best to meet them. It is also for the local NHS to make sure that the capacity to do so effectively is available.
	The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme is committed to expanding the IAPT workforce by 2,400 therapists to work in primary care over the next three years. This is in addition to the 3,660 new therapists that have been recruited and trained since the programme's inspection in 2008-09.
	There has been no recent specific assessment of the type described. However, all of these treatments are well established as being effective in a variety of different clinical settings for a range of different mental health problems. It is important that a variety of treatment options are available to clinicians, who are best placed to decide on the most appropriate treatment, or combination of treatments, on a case by case basis. Their decisions are informed by guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

NHS Foundation Trusts

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts Monitor had identified as unlikely to achieve Foundation Trust status on the most recent date for which figures are available; what the (a) capital and (b) PFI-related debt of each trust is; and what the cost of servicing the (i) capital and (ii) PFI-related debt of each trust was in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: Monitor is an independent organisation charged with the authorisation of foundation trusts (FT) which are assessed by them following a strategic health authority (SHA) and Department of Health process, culminating in the Secretary of State's approval to proceed if appropriate. Monitor does not identify in advance those organisations who are unlikely to achieve FT status; this is the role of SHAs and the Department.
	Each national health service trust submitted a draft Tripartite Formal Agreement to the Department. The draft Tripartite Formal Agreement sets out the challenges each NHS trust faces in achieving FT status. The Tripartite Formal Agreements will be signed by the NHS trust, SHA and the Department.
	A national review is under way in 22 NHS trusts to look at the costs associated with the private finance initiative schemes and the impact this has on the long-term financial sustainability of these organisations and their ability to achieve FT status. This will inform if and what support might be needed. A list of the 22 NHS trusts is provided as follows:
	
		
			 Strategic Health Authority NHS Trust 
			 Yorks and Humber Strategic Health Authority Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 
		
	
	
		
			 North West Strategic Health Authority North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust 
			   
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  Worcester Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 
			  University Hospital of North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust 
			  Wye Valley NHS Trust 
			   
			 East of England Strategic Health Authority Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 
			   
			 London Strategic Health Authority Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  Barts and the London NHS Trust 
			  North Middlesex NHS Trust 
			  Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 
			  South London Healthcare NHS Trust 
			  West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 
			   
			 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust 
			  Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 
			   
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 
			  Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust (+ Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust) 
			  Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 
			   
			 South West Strategic Health Authority North Bristol NHS Trust 
		
	
	Information on the annual unitary payments made under every signed hospital private finance initiative contract over the lifetime of the contract can be found on the HM Treasury website at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pfi_signed_projects_list_march2011.xls
	The figures are the latest estimates collected from each Department for the March 2011 Budget report. The unitary payment is paid by the NHS body to the private sector counterparty to the contract and covers the capital costs (repayment of principal and financing charges), building maintenance and in many cases the non-clinical support services such as cleaning, laundry, catering, portering and security.
	The HM Treasury list includes all the schemes identified for this national review, apart from two which have not yet signed contracts. The two schemes that have yet to sign the contracts are Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust and Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust. This is due to the trusts being either at an earlier stage of completing their Business Case approval process or still in the procurement process.

NHS Trusts

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts (a) have entered into and (b) are in discussions about entering into formal tripartite agreements; and in each case whether the trust in question has indicated whether its commitment under the private finance initiative is a contributory factor in its decision to seek such an agreement.

Simon Burns: The remaining national health service trusts are working on Tripartite Formal Agreements with their strategic health authorities and the Department of Health. This work is required for all trusts as part of the application process, regardless of whether they have a private finance initiative (PFI) or not. When it has been finalised the agreement will be signed by all parties and the NHS trust will publish the agreement. The agreement will identify the issues the trust faces and the actions that will establish them as sustainable providers of high quality health care services. These developments will enable them to meet the demanding requirements needed to achieve foundation status. A list of the remaining NHS trusts has been placed in the Library for information.
	A national review is under way in 22 NHS trusts to look at the costs associated with PFI schemes and the impact this has on the long-term financial sustainability of these organisations and their ability to achieve foundation trust status. This will inform if and what support might be needed. The 22 trusts are:
	
		
			  NHS Trust 
			 Yorks and Humber Strategic Health Authority Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 
			   
			 North West Strategic Health Authority North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust 
			   
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  Worcester Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 
			  University Hospital of North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust 
			  Wye Valley NHS Trust 
			   
			 East of England Strategic Health Authority Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 
			   
			 London Strategic Health Authority Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  Barts and the London NHS Trust 
			  North Middlesex NHS Trust 
			  Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 
			  South London Healthcare NHS Trust 
			  West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 
			   
			 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust 
			  Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 
		
	
	
		
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 
			  Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust (plus Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust) 
			  Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 
			   
			 South West Strategic Health Authority North Bristol NHS Trust 
		
	
	Information on the annual unitary payments made under every signed hospital PFI contract over the lifetime of the contract can be found on the HM Treasury's website at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pfi_signed_projects_list_march2011.xls
	These are the latest estimates collected from each Department for the March 2011 Budget Report. The unitary payment is paid by the NHS body to the private sector counterparty to the contract and covers the capital costs (repayment of principal and financing charges), building maintenance and in many cases the non-clinical support services such as cleaning, laundry, catering, portering and security.
	The HM Treasury list includes all the schemes identified for this national review, apart from two which have not yet signed contracts (i.e. they are at earlier stage of completing the business case approval process or still in procurement) and therefore do not yet have an agreed or finalised unitary payment. The schemes are Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust and Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust.

NHS Trusts

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts have indicated to their respective strategic health authorities that (a) the cost of meeting their obligations under the private finance initiative would be difficult to achieve without structural change and (b) they are unlikely to achieve Foundation Trust status with their current structure.

Simon Burns: A national review is under way in 22 national health service trusts to look at the costs associated with private finance initiative (PFI) schemes and the impact this has on the long-term financial sustainability of these organisations and their ability to achieve foundation trust status. This will inform if and what support might be needed. The 22 trusts are:
	
		
			  Trusts 
			 Yorks and Humber Strategic Health Authority Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 
			   
			 North West Strategic Health Authority North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust 
			   
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  Worcester Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 
		
	
	
		
			  University Hospital of North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust 
			  Wye Valley NHS Trust 
			   
			 East of England Strategic Health Authority Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 
			   
			 London Strategic Health Authority Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  Barts and the London NHS Trust 
			  North Middlesex NHS Trust 
			  Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 
			  South London Healthcare NHS Trust 
			  West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 
			   
			 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust 
			  Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 
			   
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 
			  Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust (plus Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust) 
			  Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 
			   
			 South West Strategic Health Authority North Bristol NHS Trust 
		
	
	Information on the annual unitary payments made under every signed hospital PFI contract over the lifetime of the contract can be found on the Treasury's website at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pfi_signed_projects_list_march2011.xls
	These are the latest estimates collected from each Department for the March 2011 Budget report. The unitary payment is paid by the NHS body to the private sector counterparty to the contract and covers the capital costs (repayment of principal and financing charges), building maintenance and in many cases the non-clinical support services such as cleaning, laundry, catering, portering and security.
	The Treasury list includes all the schemes identified for this national review, apart from two which have not yet signed contracts (ie they are at earlier stage of completing the business case approval process or still in procurement) and therefore do not yet have an agreed or finalised unitary payment. The schemes are Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust and Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust.
	All the remaining NHS trusts are currently working on tripartite formal agreements with their strategic health authorities and the Department of Health. This work includes determining where an NHS trust may not be sustainable in their current organisational form and where actions will be taken to support the achievement of foundation trust status. Once finalised, these agreements will be published locally and will detail the actions that will be taken to support all the remaining NHS trusts to become established as sustainable providers of quality healthcare services either in their current organisational structure or as part of another foundation trust.

Perinatal Mortality

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many research studies into still birth his Department has commissioned from research councils in each of the last 10 years.

Simon Burns: The Department has not commissioned any research studies from research councils into stillbirth in the last 10 years.
	Government investment in health research in England is made principally by the Department of Health, through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, through the Medical Research Council (MRC).
	In 2008-09 (the most recent year for which figures are currently available) the MRC spent £1.1 million on research related to stillbirth. In addition, the MRC also funds several large cohort studies which include a component of research into stillbirth and supports'a large portfolio of underpinning reproductive medicine and paediatric research, much of which may be relevant.
	The Department has funded a range of research relevant to stillbirth. For example, the Department's Policy Research programme has funded a Policy Research Unit in Maternal Health and Care at the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford. Research themes include pregnancy loss, perinatal morbidity, maternal morbidity and maternal mortality.
	Furthermore, the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre has an ongoing programme of research on women's health. A major focus of this research is understanding the determinants of stillbirth risk and using this understanding to improve clinical care of pregnant women.

Public Health

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill to establish professional regulation for public health specialists.

Anne Milton: Public health specialists with a medical or dental background are regulated under the statutory regulatory frameworks of the General Medical Council and the General Dental Council respectively. United Kingdom Public Health Register regulates non-medically or non-dentally qualified specialists on a voluntary basis.
	The Government agree there should be a system of registration or regulation for non-medical public health consultants that is proportionate to the risk that they pose to the public. The consultation on the Public Health White Paper and the Future Forum have identified a number of mechanisms through which this might be achieved. We will work with the profession and employers over the coming months and bring forward proposals later this year.

Public Health

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill to establish an independent Director of Public Health.

Anne Milton: The Government have responded to the Future Forum report and accepted all of the core recommendations. Amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill will be tabled in due course.

Social Services: Fees and Charges

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effects on (i) levels of take-home pay and (ii) the incentive to work of charging for social care services.

Paul Burstow: The Department has not undertaken any research in this area.
	The Government believe urgent reform of the social care funding system is needed. The Commission on the Funding of Care and Support was established in July 2010 and will make recommendations to the Government on how to achieve an affordable and sustainable funding system for care and support, which will ensure a fair partnership between the state and the individual, and take into account the vital role of families and carers. The Commission is expected to report in July 2011.

Southern Cross Healthcare

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to ensure that Southern Cross continues in operation.

Paul Burstow: The Government have made it very clear that the welfare of residents living in Southern Cross homes is paramount. We appreciate that recent events and media speculation has caused concern to residents in Southern Cross care homes and their relatives and families.
	It is for Southern Cross, its landlords and those with an interest in the business to put in place a plan that stabilises the business and ensures operational continuity of the company's care homes. That work is ongoing and we must let it continue.
	We consider the issue should be fully capable of resolution by the commercial sector. The Government's principal concern is for the safety and well-being of the residents of care homes that might be affected. We have undertaken to ensure they are protected; whatever happens, no resident will find themselves homeless or without care. The Government will not stand by and let that happen.
	Departmental officials have been in frequent contact with Southern Cross's senior management over the last three months and that will continue. We are engaged with the company, the landlords and lenders and are monitoring the situation very closely.
	The Government are acting to ensure that all parties involved are working towards a swift resolution with a comprehensive plan for the future, which must have at its heart the welfare of residents.
	The Government are also working closely with the Association of Directors of Adult Social services, the Local Government Association, local authorities and the Care Quality Commission to ensure that robust local arrangements are in place to address the consequences in the event that the company's restructuring plan fails to put the business on a stable footing.

Southern Cross Healthcare

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure the adequacy of standards of care in the Southern Cross care homes issued with improvement orders by the Care Quality Commission following the resolution of the present financial situation of the company;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to monitor the compliance with statutory obligations of staffing ratios in care homes operated by Southern Cross.

Paul Burstow: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator for health and adult social care in England. Providers registered with the CQC must comply with 16 safety and quality requirements set out in regulations made under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. These 16 requirements include a requirement on staffing. This requires the registered provider to take appropriate steps to ensure that, at all times, there are sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, skilled and experienced persons employed to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of service users. The regulations apply to providers of a wide range of services and do not specify staffing ratios.
	The CQC is responsible for assuring compliance with the regulations. The CQC undertakes reviews of compliance with the regulations and where it finds non-compliance, the CQC has powers to take enforcement action. The CQC may issue improvement or compliance actions and the provider is required to send a report to the CQC setting out the action it is taking to achieve or maintain compliance. The CQC may also take enforcement action. The CQC may carry out follow-up reviews to ensure that the actions have been undertaken to achieve compliance.
	The CQC will take the necessary steps to assure itself that Southern Cross continues to comply with the requirement to ensure that adequate staffing is in place at all times and that its homes also continue to comply with the other 15 safety and quality requirements. The CQC is aware of Southern Cross's proposals to save money through staff cuts and the risk that these cuts may directly affect the safety and quality of services. The CQC's primary concern is always to ensure the health, safety and welfare of people who use services. Though the CQC's responsive system of compliance monitoring, where there is any indication of increased risk of non compliance with the registration requirements, the CQC is following up through additional planned or responsive reviews to check compliance. Where the CQC finds non compliance it will act swiftly requiring improvements to be made within a specified time period. The CQC has powers to take strong enforcement action should the provider fail to make the necessary improvements.
	The Department is working closely with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Local Government Association, local authorities and the CQC to ensure that contingency plans are in place which will allow for the continuation of care for residents in Southern Cross homes under any eventuality. There are frequent discussions between the parties involved.

Telemedicine

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to utilise mobile application technologies in the delivery of health services to the public.

Simon Burns: The Department is looking at a number of initiatives to make better use of mobile application technologies to deliver health services to the public and to promote and support the delivery of quality, innovation, productivity and prevention across community services.
	The Government's 2010 White Paper consultation document—Liberating the NHS: An Information Revolution—sought views on our proposals for an information revolution for health and adult social care in England, to transform the way information is accessed, collected, analysed and used.
	The consultation closed on 14 January 2011 and responses are now being analysed, together with further views expressed as part of the recent listening exercise. We have been keen to listen and will use the responses to the consultation and also from the listening exercise to develop a detailed information strategy that will highlight how opening up information supports improvements in care.

Tuberculosis: Health Services

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis.

Anne Milton: The Department and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence have published guidance to support the national health service in commissioning and providing effective services to prevent, diagnose and treat tuberculosis (TB).
	In addition, the Department is funding TB Alert to raise awareness among groups at risk of TB and among primary care workers.
	We expect NHS organisations and their partners to ensure early detection, treatment completion and co-ordinated action to prevent and control TB.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Advisory Services: Finance

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on ensuring a sufficient level of funding for advice services in England.

Edward Davey: As I indicated during Business, Innovation and Skills First Order questions on 31 March 2011, Official Report , column 502, I have had discussions with the Minister for Civil Society, the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, the hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (Mr Hurd) on the future of the Citizens Advice Service. I have also discussed the future funding of advice services in England with other Ministers as the Citizens Advice Service is of course important to a number of Government Departments, including BIS.

Business: Young People

Mel Stride: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to provide incentives to businesses to employ staff directly from school.

John Hayes: Businesses should be free to recruit whoever is best suited to their requirements, whether that is a school leaver or someone more experienced.
	Nevertheless, Government are encouraging employers to offer more work experience, internships and Apprenticeships opportunities to young people, including through our Every Business Commits initiative. We are also taking action to raise attainment and ensure young people have the skills and qualifications that are attractive to employers, including through quality vocational education and training.
	As part of the Government's review of 16-19 funding, and in light of research into employer investment—we are considering whether payments to employers can be an effective way to encourage them to take on apprentices, but we must make sure that any scheme to introduce such payments will deliver the right outcomes and-offer value for money.

Businesses

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the rate of productivity growth for (a) small and medium-sized enterprises and (b) all UK businesses in each year since 2005.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the rate of productivity growth for (a) small and medium-sized enterprises and (b) all UK businesses in each year since 2005 (61095).
	Quarterly labour productivity statistics are available from the ONS website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=7476
	Whole economy output per worker is our headline labour productivity statistic which includes all UK businesses, please refer to Table 1 below.
	Productivity estimates for small and medium-sized enterprises are not published by the ONS.
	
		
			 Table 1: Whole economy headline labour productivity 2005-10, annual index and growth rate, United Kingdom 
			  Output per worker 
			 Period Index (2006=100) Growth 
			 2005 98.1 1.4 
			 2006 100.0 2.0 
			 2007 102.1 2.1 
			 2008 101.3 -0.8 
			 2009 98.1 -3.2 
			 2010 99.2 1.2

Businesses

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the level of productivity of new businesses in each year since 2005.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for the level of productivity for new businesses in each year since 2005 (61109).
	This information is not available. Productivity estimates for new businesses are not published by the ONS.

Businesses

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of people who indicated to his Department that they wished to start a business in the most recent period for which figures are available also indicated that they had experienced multiple barriers to start-up.

Mark Prisk: BIS do not have data to estimate the number and proportion of people who indicated to the Department that they wanted to start a business who also indicated that they had experienced multiple barriers to start-up.
	However, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor shows that in 2010, 7.3% of the adult population in the UK were expecting to start up a business within the next three years, see the following website for more information:
	http://www.gemconsortium.org/files.aspx?Ca_ID=107
	In addition, the World Bank provides an annual assessment of the 'ease of starting-up a business' in over 180 countries. The latest report for 2010 shows that the UK ranks third in the G7 on this measure, see the following website for more information:
	http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings

Businesses

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to assist UK companies in carrying out due diligence checks on agents or businesses in overseas markets.

Mark Prisk: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the Government Department that helps UK-based businesses succeed in the global economy and assists overseas companies to bring their high quality investment to the UK.
	The role of UKTI teams overseas is to refer due diligence cases to appropriately qualified local legal firms in any market where such a services is requested.

Conditions of Employment

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on his review of employment law.

Edward Davey: holding answer 17 June 2011
	The review of employment-related laws being co-ordinated by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is a cross-Government initiative.
	All Departments with a responsibility for employment-related law are engaged in the process, and relevant Ministers and officials are in contact with BIS on a regular basis in taking forward the review.

Crown Relocations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many contracts his Department holds with Crown Relocations; and what the (a) purpose and (b) monetary value of each such contract is.

Edward Davey: The Department has no contracts with Crown Relocations.

Departmental Correspondence

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of correspondence received by his Department was replied to (a) within his Department's deadline for the issuing of responses to correspondents, (b) less than five days after its deadline, (c) between five and 10 days after its deadline and (d) more than 10 days after its deadline in each month since 12 May 2010.

Edward Davey: The proportion of correspondence received by the Department, replied to within the Department's deadline, for responses to correspondents in each month since 12 May 2010 was:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			 May 2010 91 
			 June 2010 92 
			 July 2010 58 
			 August 2010 63 
			 September 2010 65 
			 October 2010 71 
			 November 2010 72 
			 December 2010 63 
			 January 2011 83 
			 February 2011 71 
			 March 2011 71 
			 April 2011 82 
			 May 2011 83 
		
	
	I regret that the further information requested is not available in the form requested and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Meetings

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on meeting hon. Members who request a meeting with him or his Ministers; and if he will provide details of any such request that he has declined since 12 May 2010.

Edward Davey: All meeting requests are treated on a case by case basis. Responses are based on the nature of the issues involved and their relation to BIS ministerial responsibilities.

Departmental Rail Travel

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on first class train travel in 2009-10.

Edward Davey: The Department spent £387,949 on first class rail travel in 2009/10.
	For information, the equivalent figure in 2010/11 was £171,725 and this reflected a significant reduction in first class travel that was mandated across the Department from June 2010 onwards as part of a range of cost saving measures.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what regulations his Department introduced between 1 March 2011 and 31 May 2011; and what the estimated costs of implementation were for those affected in each case.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 17 June 2011
	Between 1 March and 31 May 2011, BIS Ministers made 18 regulations by statutory instrument (SI). The 18 SIs include measures to simplify, update and modernise the regulatory frameworks within the Department's responsibility. For instance:
	The Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 amends the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/470) to ensure that the student loan repayment system remains aligned with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) self assessment and pay as you earn (PAYE) processes which are used to collect student loans.
	The Export Control (Libya) Order 2011 updated export controls in the light of developments in Libya
	The Insolvency (Amendment) Rules 2011 modernise and simplify procedures to enable insolvency cases to be administered more efficiently and facilitate the use of electronic communications between those involved in the insolvency process, including within the Royal Courts of Justice. No costs are expected with this measure, but there will be a benefit of £0.2 million per year as certain debtors previously unable to access Debt Relief Orders (DRO) will now be able to access debt relief.
	The Insolvency Proceedings (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2011 increases the amount of the deposit payable on presenting a petition for bankruptcy or winding up. This is to ensure that those who benefit from the insolvency regime rather than the taxpayer should fund the cost. There is an economic transfer of £4.7 million between debtors and taxpayers. This is the only one of the 18 measures to impose a significant cost.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the name is of each regulatory measure revoked by his Department between 1 March and 31 May 2011; and what estimate he has made of the potential annual saving to those affected by each revocation.

Edward Davey: On 21 March my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Further Education Skills and Lifelong Learning made the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2010 (Amendment) Order 2011. This revoked the extension to the right to request time to train to small and medium-sized enterprises potentially saving businesses approximately £350 million a year.
	In addition, the Flexible Working (Eligibility, Complaints and Remedies) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of children of 17 years of age were revoked by statutory instruments on 30 March before they were due to come into force on 6 April. Had they come into force, the costs to business would have been approximately £2 million a year; however these would have been offset by equivalent annual benefits to business.
	Many of the other regulations will also have updated existing regulations so as to avoid unnecessary burdens on business.

Departmental Responsibilities

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of the organogram of his Department to the sub-team level.

Edward Davey: As part of the Government's Transparency Agenda, BIS has produced a Departmental organogram which identifies staff at team level. This is published data and can be viewed at the following address:
	http://reference.data.gov.uk/gov-structure/organogram/?dept=bis&post=SCS4-09

Departmental Written Questions

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of written parliamentary questions for written answer his Department responded to (a) on the date for answer, (b) less than five days after the date for answer, (c) between five and 10 days after the date for answer and (d) more than 10 days after the date for answer in each month since 12 May 2010.

Edward Davey: The Department aims to answer named day questions on the date specified by the Member and ordinary questions within five sitting days. Where it is not possible to provide a full answer within the usual deadline, the Department believes it will usually be preferable to provide an answer a few days late than to provide an incomplete answer.
	Figures are recorded in the following format:
	
		
			 Named day parliamentary questions 
			   On time Total late Of which more than 10 days late 
			 Month due for answer Total tabled No. % No. % No. % 
			 May 2010 5 0 0 (1)5 100 0 0 
			 June 2010 86 65 76 21 24 1 1 
			 July 2010 95 71 75 24 25 0 0 
			 September 2010 38 32 84 (2)6 16 0 0 
			 October 2010 62 47 76 15 24 0 0 
			 November 2010 162 110 68 52 32 4 3 
			 December 2010 106 72 68 34 32 7 6 
			 January 2011 112 93 83 18 16 1 1 
			 February 2011 120 91 76 29 24 1 1 
			 March 2011 142 77 54 65 46 0 0 
			 April 2011 68 53 78 15 22 2 3 
			 May 2011 67 32 48 35 52 4 6 
			 (1) All five PQs received a substantive reply within two sitting days of the date requested by the Member. (2) All six PQs received an answer the next sitting. 
		
	
	
		
			 Ordinary parliamentary written questions 
			   On time (within 5 sitting days) Total late Of which more than 10 days late 
			 Month due for answer Total tabled No. % No. % No. % 
			 June 2010 316 230 73 86 27 13 4 
			 July 2010 310 222 72 88 28 10 3 
			 September 2010 227 161 71 66 29 21 9 
			 October 2010 223 184 83 39 17 11 5 
			 November 2010 339 248 73 91 27 13 4 
			 December 2010 234 177 76 57 24 5 2 
			 January 2011 200 164 82 36 18 3 2 
			 February 2011 233 200 86 33 14 1 0 
			 March 2011 443 286 65 157 35 13 3 
			 April 2011 116 94 81 22 19 0 0 
			 May 2011 225 143 64 82 36 7 3 
		
	
	The figures have been drawn from the Department's database which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

English Language: Education

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to publish the assessment of proposed funding changes for English for Speakers of Other Languages learners.

John Hayes: An assessment of how the changes announced in Skills for Sustainable Growth may affect English for Speakers of Other Languages learners is currently being carried out by this Department. I expect to be able to publish this before summer recess.

Enterprise Promotion

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment his Department has made of the operation of (a) the Enterprise Promotion Fund, (b) the Phoenix Development Fund, (c) community development finance and (d) city growth strategies.

Mark Prisk: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has made no recent assessment of the operation of the Enterprise Promotion Fund, the Phoenix Development Fund or City Growth Strategies. These programmes were evaluated between 2003-06. BIS published an Evaluation of Community Development Institutions (CDFIs) on 15 March 2010. An Action-Orientated Summary for the sector was published in June 2010.
	Further information can be found at
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/publications

Export Credit Guarantees

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the environmental, social and human rights guidelines set out in the OECD's Common Approaches are to apply to (a) each new product and scheme being developed by the Export Credits Guarantee Department in line with the Government's Trade and Investment for Growth White Paper and (b) each ultimate beneficiary of sales and projects arising from each such product or scheme.

Edward Davey: I take the “environmental, social and human rights guidelines set out in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Common Approaches” to be the standards which should be used in an environmental review carried out pursuant to the Common Approaches. The guidelines apply, or do not apply, as the case may be, to individual projects. The Common Approaches contain within them a number of tests as to whether the guidelines should apply. Some are such that all transactions which the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) carries out within the terms of a particular scheme will fall outside the applicability of the guidelines. In other cases the individual terms of projects will have to be considered.
	Examples of schemes under which all transactions would fall outside the scope of the Common Approaches are those projects which benefit from official supported export credit with a repayment term of less than two years. This would include ECGD's new export working capital and foreign exchange credit support products.
	There is a lack of clarity in the Common Approaches as to whether support given pursuant to a bond support scheme such as ECGD's new scheme is capable of falling within the definition of “officially supported export credits with a repayment term of two years or more”. ECGD is treating applications for such support as within the definition quoted above if the bond for which support is sought has a tenor of two years or more. There will be further questions as to whether the incidents of any particular project for which bond support is requested mean that it is a project to which the guidelines should apply.

Exports: Weapons

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what licences have been granted for the export of weapons or military hardware to the Libyan government since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: Since May 2010 the following licences have been granted for the export of weapons and military hardware to the Government of Libya:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) for permanent export 8 
			 SIELs for temporary export 5 
			 Open Individual Export Licence 1 
		
	
	All licences for the export of military or security equipment to the Libyan Government which were still valid when the conflict began have since been revoked.

Fossil Fuels: Export Credit Guarantees

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2011, Official Report, column 433W, on the Export Credits Guarantee Department: arms trade, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Export and Investment Guarantees Act 1991 to prohibit support for fossil fuels from the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

Edward Davey: The Government have no plans to introduce legislation to change the existing statute of the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

Higher Education: Science

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time first degree entrants studying (a) medicine and dentistry, (b) subjects allied to medicine, (c) biological sciences, (d) physical sciences, (e) mathematical sciences, (f) computer science, (g) engineering and technology, (h) architecture, building and planning, (i) social studies, (j) law, (k) business and administrative studies, (l) mass communications, (m) historical and philosophical studies, (n) creative arts and design and (o) all subjects at higher education institutions there were in each year from 2002-03 to 2009-10 by state school marker.

David Willetts: The numbers of UK-domiciled full-time first degree entrants to UK higher education institutions, who had previously attended state schools, are shown by subject area in the following table. The state school marker does not include first degree entrants who had previously attended further education colleges, including sixth form colleges: the categories for known previous education institution are state school, further education college, independent school and higher education institution. Information is taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record and is provided for the academic
	years 2002/03 to 2009/10. Figures for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from January 2012.
	
		
			 UK-domiciled full-time first degree entrants, who had previously attended state schools, by subject area: UK higher education institutions  (1)   academic years 2002/03 to 2009/10 
			  2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/0  6 
			 Subject area No. with known previous institution information Of which: State school No. with known previous institution information Of which: State school No. with known previous institution information Of which: State school No. with known previous institution information Of which: State school 
			 Medicine and dentistry 6,425 3,040 7,370 3,325 7,690 3,435 7,530 3,585 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 15,030 6,515 16,575 6,980 19,650 8,145 21,045 9,435 
			 Biological sciences 25,940 14,385 27,305 14,955 28,880 15,310 30,465 16,810 
			 Veterinary science 640 320 660 325 670 345 690 395 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 1,640 825 1,920 885 1,920 885 2,000 1,020 
			 Physical sciences 12,860 7,995 12,850 8,040 13,120 7,925 14,015 8,715 
			 Mathematical sciences 4,875 2,825 4,970 2,990 5,375 3,320 5,560 3,580 
			 Computer science 18,140 8,405 16,350 7,410 14,770 6,475 13,355 6,220 
			 Engineering and technology 14,710 7,735 14,405 7,740 15,225 7,990 15,060 8,160 
			 Architecture, building and planning 4,240 2,195 5,075 2,625 5,715 3,045 6,375 3,575 
			 Social studies 23,660 12,215 24,875 12,350 27,240 13,365 27,605 13,815 
			 Law 12,215 6,425 13,050 6,840 13,950 7,110 13,535 7,090 
			 Business and administrative studies 30,255 16,055 29,960 15,710 31,310 16,175 31,290 16,675 
			 Mass communications and documentation 8,510 4,255 8,750 4,265 9,325 4,625 9,900 5,250 
			 Languages 19,245 10,410 19,140 10,210 20,035 10,665 20,430 11,330 
			 Historical and philosophical studies 13,570 7,105 14,260 7,425 14,525 7,680 15,540 8,570 
			 Creative arts and design 25,375 7,925 25,865 8,255 30,025 8,990 32,910 10,650 
			 Education 9,255 4,630 9,845 5,080 11,485 5,880 11,715 6,365 
			 Combined 1,845 1,000 2,640 1,285 1,630 750 1,550 680 
			 Total 248,445 124,255 255,860 126,695 272,555 132,120 280,565 141,910 
		
	
	
		
			  200  6  /0  7 2007  /0  8 200  8/09 20  09/10 
			 Subject area No. with known previous institution information Of which: State school No. with known previous institution information Of which: State school No. with known previous institution information Of which: State school No. with known previous institution information Of which: State school 
			 Medicine and dentistry 7,400 3,650 7,900 3,910 8,200 4,175 8,325 4,070 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 20,205 9,165 20,955 9,185 24,265 10,775 27,460 11,040 
			 Biological sciences 30,495 16,520 31,990 17,075 35,590 18,440 38,215 20,105 
			 Veterinary science 715 370 780 400 765 425 760 425 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 1,875 910 1,965 865 2,175 1,065 2,495 1,130 
			 Physical sciences 13,915 8,765 14,635 8,875 15,805 9,500 16,520 9,785 
			 Mathematical sciences 5,615 3,695 6,140 4,020 7,020 4,520 7,440 4,935 
			 Computer science 13,045 5,935 12,585 5,550 14,125 6,235 15,570 6,660 
			 Engineering and technology 14,700 7,920 15,765 8,130 17,920 9,210 19,440 10,030 
			 Architecture, building and planning 6,560 3,520 6,895 3,445 8,080 4,040 7,930 3,720 
			 Social studies 26,485 13,125 28,205 13,340 32,560 15,420 33,615 16,100 
			 Law 13,085 6,895 13,885 7,010 15,515 7,965 15,570 8,045 
			 Business and administrative studies 30,970 16,215 31,960 16,260 37,655 18,620 39,550 19,535 
		
	
	
		
			 Mass communications and documentation 9,440 4,865 9,750 4,745 11,280 5,500 11,935 5,940 
			 Languages 19,560 11,030 20,250 11,065 22,180 12,160 22,585 12,455 
			 Historical and philosophical studies 14,635 8,145 14,885 8,045 16,335 8,990 16,895 9,290 
			 Creative arts and design 31,565 10,060 34,240 10,755 38,215 12,390 40,915 13,375 
			 Education 11,940 6,345 12,650 6,225 14,540 7,090 15,665 7,660 
			 Combined 1,180 540 1,385 650 1,420 680 1,315 630 
			 Total 273,380 137,680 286,820 139,545 323,650 157,205 342,195 164,920 
			 (1) Excludes the Open University: there were no UK-domiciled full-time first degree entrants to the Open University between 2002/03 and 2009/10 Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and are rounded up or down to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record

Insolvency Act 1986

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the merits of revising section 233 of the Insolvency Act 1986 to include on-sellers of telecoms services and equipment in addition to direct suppliers;
	(2)  if he will assess the merits of revising section 233 of the Insolvency Act 1986 to prevent suppliers requiring payments on insolvency which would reduce the (a) likelihood of a rescue and (b) dividends to creditors;
	(3)  if he will assess the merits of revising section 233 of the Insolvency Act 1986 to include information technology services, computer software and accounting software as essential suppliers for the purposes of reflecting the use of modern technology in business operations; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: We announced in May that we would discuss with interested parties .the issue of termination clauses in the context of further consideration of a possible new restructuring moratorium. Officials are currently engaged in that process. Any move to include other essential supplies in section 233 would have implications for the suppliers themselves and would need to be carefully considered in this context.

Intellectual Property

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department plans to take to encourage non-EU members of the World Trade Organisation to ratify the amendments to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights to make importation of drugs easier and cheaper.

Edward Davey: holding answer 20 June 2011
	: The UK will continue to make clear its support for the Doha Declaration on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS) and public health, which agreed that:
	“The TRIPS Agreement does not and should not prevent members from taking measures to protect public health."
	We also support the proposed amendment to TRIPS which allows developing countries with insufficient or no manufacturing capacity in the pharmaceutical sector to use a compulsory licence to import essential medicines.
	At the World Trade Organisation the EU, with the UK's support, continues to support calls on countries to ratify this amendment. Members are regularly reminded of their commitment at the WTO TRIPS Council, most recently on 7 June 2011.

Intellectual Property: Africa

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has for the UK Patent Office to undertake joint working with intellectual property offices in Africa.

Edward Davey: holding answer 20 June 2011
	The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) does not currently work with African IPO's but will consider requests for technical assistance and the sharing of knowledge and best practice. We have commissioned research which will be published later this year on the effectiveness of intellectual property technical assistance. This will inform our future work programme with African intellectual property offices.
	In addition, the Department for International Development (DFID) currently fund the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD). This is a not-for-profit organisation that, on request, provides assistance to developing countries on intellectual property.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2011, Official Report, column 398W, on local enterprise partnerships (LEP), how many private sector members representing (a) micro, (b) small and (c) medium-sized businesses each LEP has; and which LEPs have no representative of micro-businesses at board level.

Mark Prisk: To date 14 local enterprise partnership (LEP) boards have been recognised by the Government. The following table shows the number of representatives of (a) micro, (b) small and (c) medium-sized businesses sitting on each recognised LEP board.
	
		
			 LEP Micro (0-9 Employees) Small (10-49 Employees) Medium (50-249 Employees) 
			 Cumbria 1 2 0 
			 Greater Lincolnshire 1 1 0 
			 Cheshire and Warrington 0 2 2 
			 Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire 1 0 0 
			 The Black Country 0 0 0 
			 Coventry and Warwickshire 0 2 0 
			 Oxfordshire City Region 1 0  
			 Leeds City Region 0 2 2 
			 Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough 2 2 3 
			 West of England 0 0 0 
			 Coast to Capital 4 0 0 
			 Greater Manchester 0 2 1 
			 Sheffield City Region 0 1 2 
			 New Anglia 0 1 1 
		
	
	Some Board members will have had experience of running start-up companies and building them up, this previous experience is not reflected in the table. Similarly some board members as well as owning their own business will also have a role in organisations that represent businesses from more than one category, again this has not been captured. There is one instance where a board member owns two sizes of business and as a result has been listed under both categories.

Opiates

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has considered the merits of reviewing the licensing of opium derivatives in order to increase price competition.

Edward Davey: holding answer 15 June 2011
	The Government have committed to reviewing the controlled drug licensing arrangements relating to opium derivatives during 2011. This review will be lead by the Home Office, in consultation with other Government Departments as necessary.

Patent Office: China

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has for the UK Patent Office to undertake joint working with the China Patent and Trademark Office.

Edward Davey: holding answer 20 June 2011
	The Intellectual Property Office works with the Chinese State Intellectual Property Office to develop mutually beneficial improvements to our intellectual property (IP) systems. Under an agreement signed in June 2010, we are exploring ways to increase the effectiveness and quality of processes for handling patent applications in both countries. We are working to develop model IP agreements for UK-China collaborative research; we have joint seminars to encourage the use and understanding of our respective IP systems; and are discussing the feasibility of a fast-track for green patents in China, similar to the UK model.
	Under a 2009 Memorandum of Understanding, the Intellectual Property Office is also working with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce to exchange information and best practice on trade mark examination procedures, oppositions and disputes, and enforcement procedures.

Patents

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of unprocessed patent applications.

Edward Davey: With respect to reducing the number of unprocessed patent applications at the European Patent Office and on a global level, I refer to my answer given on 16 June 2011, Official Report, column 963W.
	The Intellectual Property Office of the UK is itself working with offices from a number of other countries on work-sharing initiatives to reduce duplication of effort, and thereby to reduce patent application backlogs. Moreover, the Intellectual Property Office is pursuing a managed reduction in the stock of patent applications awaiting substantive examination. This is being achieved through matching resources to projected long-term demand, efficiency improvements, and selective use of overtime. The Office met its target of clearing all outstanding patent examinations older than 49 months by March 2011 and has been set a new target of reducing this figure to 42 months by March 2012.

Plastic Bags: Fees and Charges

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration has he given to the merits of placing a requirement on businesses to charge for plastic carrier bags.

Richard Benyon: I have been asked to reply.
	A range of measures to reduce the distribution of single use carrier bags was considered as part of the Review of Waste Policy and a decision will be made in 2012. This timetable enables us to take into account the experience in Wales, where a charge will come into force in October 2011, and the results of the European Commission consultation that is currently being undertaken on a number of possible options for reducing the use of plastic carrier bags, including charging and a ban.

Regional Growth Fund

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of Regional Growth Fund applications which were declined were assessed as in breach of state aid rules (a) in each region and (b) nationally in the most recent round of applications.

Mark Prisk: State aid compliance was not assessed in a binary way during round 1 of the regional growth fund. A state aid compliance risk assessment was made for each bid and this was considered in parallel with the other four published criteria: project location; additionality; sustainable private sector growth and value for money. As no bid was declined solely on the grounds of state aid it is not possible to provide the statistics requested.

Small Businesses

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on trends in (a) net capital investment by small businesses, (b) the proportion of managers of small businesses that carry out management or leadership training and (c) the use of ICT by small businesses in each year since 2005.

Mark Prisk: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) Net capital investment
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collects information on net capital investment through its annual business survey.
	
		
			 Annual business survey (ABS), small firms, net capital expenditure 
			 £ million 
			  2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 
			 Less than 250 registered employees 32,266 33,155 36,440 37,941 32,600 
			 Note: The ABS covers about two-thirds of the UK economy including production, construction, distribution, and service industries. 
		
	
	(b) Leadership and management
	The Department's regular small business survey contains information on the proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that provided managers with management and leadership training.
	
		
			 Percentage of SME employers (1-249 employees) that provided management and leadership training to managers in previous year 
			  Time period of survey 
			  2005 2006-07 2007-08 2010 
			 At least some managers 23 25 28 32 
			 All managers 10 11 11 15 
			 Source: Small Business Survey (2010) and Annual Small Business Survey (2007/08, 2006/07 and 2005) 
		
	
	(c) Use of ICT
	The Department's regular small business survey collects information on ICT use by SMEs. For example, the small business survey 2010 found that 87% of SME employers had broadband for their business and 57% used the internet for advice on regulation. As a result of changes to the questionnaire it is not possible to compare trends since 2005.
	The ONS conducts an annual survey into e-commerce and ICT activity and measures the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by businesses with 10 or more employees. This survey provides times series on a range measures, including whether businesses have a website.
	
		
			 Percentage of businesses with a website 
			 Employment size 10-49 50-249 250-999 1,000+ 
			 2005 65 87 95 98 
		
	
	
		
			 2006 66 89 96 98 
			 2007 66 89 96 98 
			 2008 71 91 94 98 
			 2009 72 92 97 99 
			 Coverage: UK businesses with 10 or more employment 
		
	
	Website links
	ONS Annual Business Survey:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/abs/
	Results from BIS's small business survey and annual small business survey can be found on BIS's website at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/enterprise-and-business-support/analytical-unit/research-and-evaluation/cross-cutting-research
	ONS e-commerce survey:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=6645&Pos=2&ColRank=1&Rank=390

Students: Finance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he or officials of his Department have met representatives of (a) Lloyds Banking Group, (b) Santander, (c) HSBC, (d) Royal Bank of Scotland, (e) Barclays and (f) other banks incorporated in the UK to discuss the provision of private student loans; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: holding answer 10 June 2011
	I met Barclays on 8 November 2010 to discuss professional and career development loans.
	I met Santander on 24 May 2011 regarding its involvement in UK higher education via its Santander Universities programme. A broad range of higher education issues were discussed, including the possibility of the provision of private student loans.
	BIS officials met Barclays bank in 2010 to discuss a range of issues related to student finance.

Supermarkets: Competition

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many arbitrations there have been under the Groceries Supply Code of Practice since it came into force.

Edward Davey: Between February 2010 and August 2010, there were no arbitrations. Over the coming months, the designated large grocery retailers who the Groceries Supply Code of Practice applies to will be submitting their annual compliance reports to the Office of Fair Trading.

Technology: Greater London

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2011, Official Report, column 1203W, what the monetary value is of the contract held by Hill and Knowlton for Tech City; and what the duration is of that contract.

Mark Prisk: The international marketing campaign contract won by Hill and Knowlton amounts to £99,945 inclusive of fees and costs for an initial 12 month contract.

Technology: Greater London

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2011, Official Report, column 1203W, on technology: Greater London, what the process was by which the contract for international marketing for Tech City was let.

Mark Prisk: The contract for the international marketing of Tech City followed Government tendering process.

Technology: Greater London

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2011, Official Report, column 1203W, on technology: Greater London, whether UKTI will tender for national marketing for Tech City.

Mark Prisk: UK Trade and Investment are leading on the national marketing of Tech City. There are no plans to put this service out to tender.

UK Trade and Investment

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials of UK Trade and Investment are posted to each (a) embassy and (b) other mission.

Mark Prisk: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is a joint Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) organisation and is not an employing organisation in its own right. The majority of staff posted to our embassies and missions overseas and working for UKTI are employees of the FCO. In addition to staff posted to our embassies and missions from the UK, there are some 1,100 locally employed staff working for UKTI. A table which sets out the numbers of such staff by country and city (expressed as full-time equivalents) will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

VAT

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the number and proportion of companies with value added tax registrations that (a) achieved £1 million of turnover and (b) employed 10 or more staff by their fourth year of trading in each year since 2005.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for the number and proportion of companies with value added tax registrations that (a) achieved £1 million of turnover and (b) employed 10 or more staff by their fourth year of trading in each year since 2005. (61114)
	Annual statistics on the number of enterprises are available from the ONS release UK Business: Activity, Size and Location at www.statistics.gov.uk. The tables below contains the latest statistics available, which show a) the number of VAT registered companies less than 4 years old with a turnover of 1 million or more and b) the number of VAT registered companies less than 4 years old with 10 or more employment. Both are given as a proportion of the total number of VAT based companies.
	
		
			 (a) VAT-based companies with £1 million turnover or more who are less than four years old in each reference year 
			  VAT-based companies less than four years old with a turnover of £1 million or more Total VAT-based companies Percentage 
			 2005 18,140 796,970 2.3 
			 2006 18,715 831,550 2.3 
			 2007 19,025 873,600 2.2 
			 2008 19,455 941,165 2.1 
			 2009 19,580 970,210 2.0 
			 2010 17,310 973,235 1.8 
		
	
	
		
			 (b) VAT-based companies with 10 employment or more who are less than four years old in each reference year 
			  VAT-based companies less than four years old within an employment of 10 or more Total VAT-based companies Percentage 
			 2005 18,120 796,970 2.3 
			 2006 17,890 831,550 2.2 
			 2007 17,635 873,600 2.0 
			 2008 17,430 941,165 1.9 
			 2009 18,325 970,210 1.9 
			 2010 16,275 973,235 1.7